About 30 aftershocks ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 in magnitude have been registered since the 5.4 earthquake which rocked Montenegro early in the morning on Thursday, Milena Tomanovic of the Montenegrin Seismology Institute said.

The epicentre of the magnitude 5.4 earthquake was in Caradje in Niksic municipality, she told the press, adding that there are no reports on possible material damage for now.

In the past, earthquakes up to 5.5 on the Richter scale have been registered in that area, she said.

Seismologist Srdjan Cekovic told the RTCG website the depth of the strongest strike was 14 km underground, that it could have caused material damage, and that it was good the epicentre was in an uninhabited area.

In April 1979, Montenegro was struck by a magnitude 7 tremor which killed 101 persons.