The city of Naples and its surroundings have once again felt a shake after a new 4.0 magnitude earthquake. The tremor was detected at 10:08 p.m. this Monday, according to the Italian National Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (INGV). The activity has been concentrated in the volcanic region of the Phlegraean Fields, in Naples. This is a new alert after a series of similar tremors in recent days, local authorities said.
The earthquake has not caused any injuries, but it has caused some damage to buildings, causing small landslides, Civil Protection reported. Some testimonies have explained that there was a loud noise just before the earthquake. According to several local media reports, the emotional impact of these last few days last night created scenes of panic and psychosis in some populations affected by the earthquake. They assure that the Pisciarelli neighbors have asked the mayor for means to spend the night on the street due to the possibility of new aftershocks.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 2.6 kilometers deep between the coastal towns of Naples and Pozzuoli, according to the INGV.
Another earthquake of magnitude 4.2 was recorded on Wednesday, the strongest in 40 years in this area. While Carlo Doglioni, director of the INGV, has warned of the “high possibility of greater intensity tremors” in the same area.
The volcanic region of the Phlegraean Fields last erupted in 1538. A new explosion would put half a million inhabitants at risk, according to local authorities. For a few weeks now, the “seismic swarm” – a succession of low-magnitude tremors – has been on the rise, “at the moment we don’t see the end,” volcanologists report.
