January 12, 2021 – The surprise Zagorje landslide has left people wondering if the groundwater has triggered the fall of ground or if the region's earthquakes may have played a part
Flattening trees and completely covering a main thoroughfare through the village of Gornji Jesenje, a surprise Zagorje landslide that occurred last week has left locals wondering if the shift of wintertime groundwater was to blame or if seismic disturbances in Croatia may have also played their part.
The Zagorje landslide occurred at the end of last week. So far, the road remains blocked. The landslide took place over four days ago. The village of Gornji Jesenje, where the Zagorje landslide took place, is just a couple of kilometres from the main thoroughfare which runs from Zagreb, through Zapresic and Zabok, and on to Maribor in Slovenia. Travel between the two major European cities remains unaffected by the landslide (although a strike by Slovenian police may currently stall passage between the countries on the border).
Thousands of cubic meters of earth were shifted in the Zagorje landslide, as the main picture (a screenshot) shows. Trees that run alongside the road were flattened with the force of the earth fall. The Zagorje landslide started under the Gorjak quarry near Gornji Jesenje. It has buried the state road DC74 in Krapina-Zagorje County. The Gorjak quarry has been in operation for about 40 years. The national institution, Hrvatske ceste, responsible for the maintenance of such routes is aware of the situation following the Zagorje landslide. Their response is pending and being planned. Their first responsibility will be to clear the road for traffic to be able to pass along the route. Further study of the area's susceptibility to further landslides is also pending. The winter groundwater, the quarry and the three large earthquakes, plus many aftershocks experienced in the region over the last 11 months will all each need to be taken into account
