Liechtenstein shakes as lawmakers debate quake insurance

BERLIN (AP) — Two earthquakes hit Liechtenstein just as lawmakers in the tiny Alpine principality were debating the pros and cons of quake insurance. Lawmaker Bettina Petzold-Maehr had just warned that the chances of all Liechtenstein citizens being affected by an earthquake striking the country was high when the first small temblor hit shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday. Petzold-Maehr laughed and continued until the second quake struck, visibly shaking the room. Speaker Albert Frick announced a 15-minute recess, saying that “this is getting a bit much, you never know if there’ll be aftershocks.” Records by the German Research Centre for Geosciences showed a magnitude 4 earthquake hit Liechtenstein. No injuries or damage were reported.