The prison buildings in Sisak and Glina sustained some damage in Tuesday's earthquake and prisoners are being transferred to other penitentiaries across Croatia, Justice and Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica said on Wednesday after he visited Sisak.

During his visit to quake-hit areas, Malenica expressed condolences to the family of a prison guard killed in the earthquake as well as to another prison guard whose family member died in the deadly quake that claimed seven lives.

Malenica said that the authorities had promptly responded on Tuesday when the earthquake struck the area and the Sisak prison was immediately evacuated. At the moment of the disaster, there were 60 inmates. They were first evacuated to the yard of the building and later were transported to some other prisons in Zagreb, Bjelovar and Gospic.

There are about 80 inmates in the Glina prison and they are also likely to be transferred to other penitentiary facilities in the course of the day.

Structural engineers who checked the Sisak prison building registered some damage and Minister Malenica said that he could not say yet when the building could be used again.

One injured in Sisak prison

During yesterday’s quake, an inmate in Sisak Prison was slightly injured and was given medical assistance, the Ministry of the Interior said after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the area on Tuesday.

None of the prisoners and staff at the penitentiary in the nearby town of Glina were injured, the ministry said in a statement yesterday.