Overview
- Seismic stations recorded a magnitude 4.5 event about eight kilometres southwest of Gloggnitz shortly before 2:00 a.m. on July 24, 2026, and residents reported strong shaking and a sharp initial bang.
- GeoSphere Austria determined the quake’s hypocenter was unusually shallow at roughly 4 km, which concentrated shaking near the surface and made the event feel stronger locally than its magnitude suggests.
- Authorities logged many perception reports but only a few dozen damage reports consisting mainly of small plaster and hairline wall cracks, with no structural failures or injuries reported.
- A rockfall triggered by the tremor briefly blocked the road between Schottwien and Breitenstein, the fire brigades cleared the debris and the route was reopened after police and the Landeswarnzentrale coordinated the response.
- Seismologists say the Semmering–Wechsel zone sees similar events every few years and expect up to a few minor aftershocks over the next one to two weeks while monitoring continues.