Romania marked on Sunday 30 years since a devastating earthquake hit the country killing over 1,500 people and wounding another 11,000. A series of analyses quoted by the media over the weekend argued that a similar seism these days would kill huge numbers of Romanians due to building infrastructure problems in capital Bucharest and elsewhere.

The March 4, 1977 earthquake measured 7.2 on Richter scale. It lasted about one minute, killed 1,571 people and wounded 11,000 with 1,391 killed, 7,596 wounded and 28 collapsed buildings in Bucharest alone.

Authorities this weekend organized a simulation of an earthquake crisis in the old parts of the capital, where large numbers of very old buildings that would not resist a strong seism are situated. And newspapers quoted a series of analysts over the past several days, showing that a late evening earthquake would claim a sinister toll in Bucharest.

That is because over 22,000 residential buildings would suffer serious damage; many hospitals have been waiting in vain for consolidation works; and a large number of chemical pollution, flood and fire sources are situated in the near vicinity of blocks of flats.