Another 4.4 magnitude earthquake hits Naples area, sparking panic

Naples (Italy) May 13 - Another earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale hit the southern Italian region of Naples at noon today. According to AFP, the tremors were also felt in Naples, causing no injuries or damage, but causing panic among residents, many of whom ran into the streets. Train services were suspended as a precaution and some schools were closed, and there are also many tourists in the area, for example on the islands of Capri, the DPA agency wrote.

The mayor of Pozzuoli, which is part of the metropolitan area of ​​Naples, Gigi Manzoni, wrote on Facebook that "a significant series of tremors are taking place". At the same time, he urged locals to remain calm. Firefighters said they were carrying out structural checks on buildings in Pozzuoli.

The National Geophysical and Volcanological Institute (INGV) said it was monitoring the situation "minute by minute" and that the data did not indicate any worrying developments.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in the so-called Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei), a volcano that last erupted in 1538. Its crater, about 13 kilometers in diameter, is also a major tourist attraction, as is the nearby volcano Vesuvius.

The Naples area, home to about half a million people, has been hit by several earthquakes in recent years. For example, this year on March 13, when the tremors also had a magnitude of 4.4, and last year in May.

WT.24