A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei area near Naples, southern Italy, leaving dozens injured and causing widespread disruptions. The quake, which occurred at 7:46 p.m. local time on Friday, had its epicentre west of Naples at a depth of about 3 km. Italian media reported it to be the strongest quake to hit the region in the last 40 years.
At least 26 people were injured, with five taken to hospital, and about 300 people were evacuated from their homes in the city of Pozzuoli, near the epicentre of the quake. Many residents spent the night on the streets, afraid their buildings would be damaged or collapse. The Italian fire service confirmed minor building damage in and around Naples, though no immediate rescue requests were received.
The quake triggered landslides near the Phlegraean Fields, a large volcanic area west of Naples, prompting Italy’s civil protection minister, Nello Musumeci, to urge caution and warn that the volcanic activity was not yet over. Local rail and metro services were suspended as a precaution, and power outages were reported in the area.
Campi Flegrei, a densely populated volcanic caldera west of Naples, has seen increasingly frequent seismic activity, prompting government monitoring. Small quakes are common, but stronger tremors heighten fears of a repeat of the 1980s seismic crisis, which caused widespread disruption and displaced thousands from their homes.
Italy is prone to seismic events, with a history of powerful quakes. A series in central Italy in 2016 killed around 300, while the deadliest in recent decades was a magnitude 6.9 quake in Irpinia in November 1980, claiming about 2,700 lives.
