A 5.4 magnitude tremor shook central Serbia early Wednesday, killing two people, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told Reuters.

The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center said the quake's epicenter was 2 km north of the city of Kraljevo, about 150 km (94 miles) southwest of the capital Belgrade.

Local health authorities said at least 15 people were hurt in and around Kraljevo, a city of about 70,000.

Eyewitnesses there reported that buildings were damaged and parts of the town were left without electricity or running water.

The Ministry of the Interior stated that during this morning’s earthquake, whose epicentre was in the villages of Vitanovac, Vitkovac and Stubal, between Kraljevo and Kragujevac, two persons lost their lives.

The statement adds that early this morning, at 1.56, in an earthquake of 5.4 degrees on the Richter scale (7.5 degrees Mercalli scale) a married couple of 50 years of age was killed in Grdica, near Kraljevo.

The earthquake damaged older buildings and houses and some parts of Kraljevo are currently without water and electricity. Several quakes of a much smaller intensity followed.

Units of the Gendarmerie and the Sector for Emergency Situations are in the field, the statement concludes.

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic and Assistant Minister of the Interior and Head of the Sector for Emergency Situations Predrag Maric early this morning visited Kraljevo.

Having met with the town leadership at the Kraljevo town hall, Dacic announced that an elderly couple Natalija and Sinisa Stasic were killed in the earthquake in their home in Grdica residential area, while around 50 persons suffered minor injuries.

Dacic specified that the Stasics were killed when a concrete ceiling panel fell on them in their house, while their son, who was also there, was not hurt.

Electricity has been restored to most parts of Kraljevo and the important thing now is that citizens calm down, that they do not panic because all town structures are operational, Dacic underlined, noting that utility and health services are a priority now.

Dacic outlined that special police teams trained to rescue people from ruins are in the field, but there is no need for them as no one has been trapped under the debris.

Dacic and Maric visited the Studenica health centre and Grdica residential area where the Stasics were killed in their own house.

Dacic announced that he will visit the villages struck by the earthquake, adding that there are damaged houses and injured persons there, but no casualties.

Minister of Defence Dragan Sutanovac stated that last night’s earthquake in Kraljevo damaged several military facilities, bu

Visiting military facilities of the Kraljevo garrison at the “Jovan Kursula” barracks, Sutanovac observed that the Serbian Army is prepared to help civilians if needed.

Serbian soldiers are currently clearing up the barracks, but the Army is ready to provide all the help it can to civilians, Sutanovac declared.

The Minister noted that damaged facilities must now be repaired, adding that the barracks was recently reconstructed, which means that more funds will have to be set side to repair them once again.

The Ministry of Finance stated that at the request of the town of Kraljevo, the Treasury Administration opened a special account for assistance to help clear up the consequences of the earthquake.

Account number is 840-2390740-88, and payments can be made as of today at counters of the Ministry of Finance’s Treasury Administration. No commission will be charged.

Business banks and the Serbian post office Posta will start accepting payments as of 4 November, the statement adds.