Residents gather outside after a strong earthquake struck near Naples.
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei volcanic area near the southern Italian city of Naples on Friday, triggering power outages, disrupting public transport and causing minor damage to buildings, authorities said.
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The earthquake struck at 7:46 p.m. local time (1746 GMT). Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the epicentre was in the Campi Flegrei area, west of Naples, at a depth of about 3 kilometres (2 miles).
Meanwhile, Italy’s fire service reported minor structural damage in and around Naples. However, emergency crews received no immediate requests for rescues or assistance.
As a precaution, local authorities suspended rail and metro services while officials carried out safety inspections.
Italian media described the tremor as one of the strongest ever recorded in the Campi Flegrei area. Many residents rushed into the streets after feeling the powerful shaking.
Volcanic zone remains under close watch
Campi Flegrei is a densely populated volcanic caldera covering much of western Naples. The region has experienced increasingly frequent seismic activity in recent years, prompting the Italian government to strengthen monitoring efforts.
Although minor earthquakes occur regularly, stronger tremors have raised concerns about a repeat of the seismic crisis of the early 1980s, when thousands of residents had to leave their homes.
Italy remains prone to earthquakes
Italy frequently experiences earthquakes because of its geological setting.
In 2016, a series of powerful earthquakes struck central Italy, killing around 300 people and devastating parts of Lazio, Umbria and the Marche regions.
The country’s deadliest earthquake in recent decades occurred in November 1980, when a magnitude 6.9 quake struck the Irpinia region in southern Italy, killing about 2,700 people and destroying hundreds of towns.
