A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Vrancea seismic zone in Romania at 12:55 p.m. on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, sending shockwaves across Europe from Moscow to Creta. The tremor, dubbed "The Great Earthquake," lasted 2 minutes and 30 seconds, making it one of the most powerful in European history and the largest ever recorded in Romania.

Bucharest suffered severe damage, with multiple historic boyar houses destroyed. The Cotroceni Monastery collapsed, and part of the Colței Tower was reduced to rubble. The quake’s wide reach disrupted infrastructure and triggered emergency responses across the continent.