The earthquake in Zagreb also shook Petrol

On Sunday morning, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck Zagreb, causing material damage in the city centre, where most of the old buildings are located. Petrol has 28 points of sale in Zagreb and its surrounding area, which did not suffer any damage worse than electricity and internet outages.

Niko Knez, Director of Retail at Petrol d.o.o. Croatia: “The most frightening thing was the sound of the earthquake, even more than the shaking.” The 5.5 magnitude earthquake lasted 10 seconds and if it had lasted any longer, buildings would have started to shake to the frequency of the tremors and Zagreb could have suffered catastrophic damage. “At Petrol, we did not suffer any significant damage other than a psychological shock. Some goods fell from the shelves, but nothing actually broke or cracked. We experienced an electricity and internet outage, which consequently resulted in some issues with payment transactions, but not much else,” Knez also stated.

Coronavirus also impacts operation

Our retail network in Croatia consists of 109 service stations. In communication with customers regarding self-protection measures and maintaining distance, we have introduced the same measures as in Slovenia, since the coronavirus is spreading at an exponential rate similar to Slovenia, as well as the measures imposed by state authorities. “We are constantly monitoring national ordinances, as well as county ordinances,” said Knez. We are adapting to the situation in Croatia by shortening opening hours. “Measures regarding shorter opening hours and Sunday closing of service stations are currently in effect in Istria county, where there are numerous coronavirus infections and which was the first in the country to close kindergarten and schools,” Knez also stated.