South of Italy
Residents concerned: 4.4 magnitude earthquake near Naples
Earthquake near Naples unsettles residents – many would rather sleep in tents than in their own house out of fear
© Antonio Balasco / Imago Images
Small earthquakes occur again and again in the south of Italy. Things have been a little more violent lately in Naples. There have been no injuries or damage so far. Nevertheless, residents are alarmed.
The area around the southern Italian city of Naples is covered in one on Monday evening been shaken by an earthquake. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) gave the magnitude 4.4 and located the epicenter in the Phlegraean Fields. The earthquake was registered around 8:10 p.m. According to media reports, the tremor was clearly felt not only in the towns near the Phlegraean Fields, but also in Naples, including the port area.
There were initially no reports of injuries or major damage. Residents in the area said cracks in houses and parts of facades falling down were reported to the fire department. Emergency services are on site to check the situation.
Many people were frightened and ran onto the streets out of concern, the media reported. Residents reported to the newspaper “Corriere del Mezzogiorno” that some houses were literally shaken, especially near the epicenter. The brief but violent tremor was preceded by weaker tremors.
Southern Italy is repeatedly hit by earthquakes
In the hours that followed, the INGV registered several more weak tremors. At around 9:45 p.m., the experts reported an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.9. In the towns around the Phlegraean Fields, residents remained on the streets late in the evening and refused to return to their homes. In Pozzuoli, according to the Ansa news agency, tents were set up for the night in four areas of the city.
The Phlegraean Fields, an area of high volcanic activity in the Campania region of southern Italy, have been hit by many small earthquakes for some time. Most of the time it is small and barely noticeable tremors that weaken the earth’s crust in the area. The area has been under a yellow alert level for eleven years, which calls for caution. However, there have also been stronger tremors in recent months. The last time there was a stronger earthquake of magnitude 4.2 was last September.