World · Europe · 3 hrs ago
Magnitude 3.3 quake in Czechia felt across eastern Bavaria
A magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck western Czechia shortly after midnight near the Bavarian border.
People in Czechia and in Bavaria’s Upper Palatinate region reported rumbling sounds, shaking buildings and vibrating floors.
The quake was about 12 kilometres deep according to Bavaria’s earthquake service; other early estimates differed slightly.
Tectonic pressure released along old faults is the explanation given by an earthquake expert, who said the region’s ground has broken there before.
No injuries or damage were reported in the affected Bavarian area, and no damage had been reported in the Czech district of Tachov.
Bavaria’s risk of damaging earthquakes is low, according to the expert.
The Bavarian earthquake service asked people who felt the quake to submit their observations online.
A magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck western Czechia near the border with Bavaria during the night of October 23.
People across eastern Bavaria reported rumbling, vibrations and buildings or furniture shaking.
The quake was felt in parts of the Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria, with about 130 reports recorded within roughly 30 kilometres.
Authorities reported no damage or injuries in the Upper Palatinate.
Sources gave differing estimates for the quake’s depth and initial magnitude.
- Who
- Residents in western Czechia and eastern Bavaria felt the earthquake.
- What
- A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported. Some agencies gave different estimates for its depth and initial magnitude.
- When
- Shortly after 00:30 on October 23, 2026.
- Where
- Near Bela nad Radbuzou in western Czechia, close to the Bavarian border; it was felt across parts of eastern Bavaria.
- Why
- The earthquake was attributed to stresses linked to the movement of the African and European tectonic plates.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
An earthquake struck near Bela nad Radbuzou in western Czechia.
People in eastern Bavaria reported shaking and rumbling, and police received calls about the quake.
The Bavarian Earthquake Service had received about 130 reports from within roughly 30 kilometres.
- Magnitude
- 3.3, according to the Bavarian Earthquake Service and EMSC
- Location
- Near Bela nad Radbuzou, western Czechia
- Depth
- 12 kilometres, according to the Bavarian Earthquake Service; EMSC reported 9 kilometres, while an earlier estimate was 16 kilometres
- Reports
- About 130 reports from within roughly 30 kilometres by Friday morning
- Impact
- No damage or injuries reported in the Upper Palatinate
3 sources
What people are saying
The African plate continues to push over the European one, creating stresses.
That was a shot like from a cannon.
The whole house shook.