Naples Struck by 4.4-Magnitude Quake Causing Minor Damage and Light Injuries
The southern Italian city of Naples was struck by a 4.4-magnitude quake early Thursday that caused only minor damage and sent 11 people to the hospital, the most serious suffering contusions after part of a ceiling collapsed, officials said.
The quake was the strongest in recorded history around the Phlegrean Fields, a sprawling area of ancient volcanoes that covers a broad swath of the Naples metropolitan area. It matched the magnitude of another quake in the same area last May that has put the population on alert.
Residents shaken awake by the early-morning quake sought safety in the streets, as they did in May.
The temblor, which loosened stone and cement from some facades, was centered just offshore from Pozzuoli, a seaside suburb bordering Naples. Mayor Gaetano Manfredi told reporters that one church, a seven-story residential building and another building were declared off-limits due to damage, and some schools were closed as a precaution.
Inspectors were checking buildings for further damage, Manfredi said. 'We are following with the greatest attention all of our structures, and are monitoring all events in real time,' the mayor said.
In all, 11 people sought hospital treatment. One woman was injured after part of a ceiling fell, and several others suffered cuts from glass that broke in the quake, Manfredi said.
Seismologists have reported a fresh increase in activity around the Phlegrean Fields over recent weeks. Authorities last summer conducted drills in preparation for a major emergency as the frequency of temblors increased.
The area around the Phlegrean Fields, which encompasses western neighborhoods of Naples and its suburbs, is both seismically and volcanically active. The surface has been pushed up 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) since 2006, which is higher than prior to the last major event in 1984, but seismologists have emphasized it is impossible to predict when an eruption or stronger quake might occur.
At least 500,000 people live in the zone most at risk should the volcano erupt. Italy's national institute for geophysics and vulcanology has called for a governmental plan to ensure that structures can withstand a quake of at least a magnitude 5.0.
During the 1984 event, 40,000 residents were evacuated during a period of intense seismic activity as a precaution against a feared eruption that did not occur.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
14-03-2025
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Naples Struck by 4.4-Magnitude Quake Causing Minor Damage and Light Injuries
The southern Italian city of Naples was struck by a 4.4-magnitude quake early Thursday that caused only minor damage and sent 11 people to the hospital, the most serious suffering contusions after part of a ceiling collapsed, officials said. The quake was the strongest in recorded history around the Phlegrean Fields, a sprawling area of ancient volcanoes that covers a broad swath of the Naples metropolitan area. It matched the magnitude of another quake in the same area last May that has put the population on alert. Residents shaken awake by the early-morning quake sought safety in the streets, as they did in May. The temblor, which loosened stone and cement from some facades, was centered just offshore from Pozzuoli, a seaside suburb bordering Naples. Mayor Gaetano Manfredi told reporters that one church, a seven-story residential building and another building were declared off-limits due to damage, and some schools were closed as a precaution. Inspectors were checking buildings for further damage, Manfredi said. 'We are following with the greatest attention all of our structures, and are monitoring all events in real time,' the mayor said. In all, 11 people sought hospital treatment. One woman was injured after part of a ceiling fell, and several others suffered cuts from glass that broke in the quake, Manfredi said. Seismologists have reported a fresh increase in activity around the Phlegrean Fields over recent weeks. Authorities last summer conducted drills in preparation for a major emergency as the frequency of temblors increased. The area around the Phlegrean Fields, which encompasses western neighborhoods of Naples and its suburbs, is both seismically and volcanically active. The surface has been pushed up 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) since 2006, which is higher than prior to the last major event in 1984, but seismologists have emphasized it is impossible to predict when an eruption or stronger quake might occur. At least 500,000 people live in the zone most at risk should the volcano erupt. Italy's national institute for geophysics and vulcanology has called for a governmental plan to ensure that structures can withstand a quake of at least a magnitude 5.0. During the 1984 event, 40,000 residents were evacuated during a period of intense seismic activity as a precaution against a feared eruption that did not occur.
Al Arabiya
13-03-2025
- Al Arabiya
Earthquake damages buildings, sparks panic in Italy's Naples
A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck the area around Naples overnight, causing one light injury and some structural damage, and triggering panic among several residents, Italian officials said on Thursday. The main quake was recorded at 1:25 a.m. (12:25 a.m. GMT) at a depth of 2.5 kilometers, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). It was followed by a series of smaller tremors, a so-called seismic swarm. Photos and videos posted on social media show cars covered in stones and debris, cracked houses, and panicked residents pouring into the streets in the middle of the night. One person was injured by the collapse of a false ceiling, the civil protection agency said, which also reported minor damage. The fire service said the injury was not serious, adding that it was carrying out checks across the areas of Bacoli, Bagnoli, and Pozzuoli. In Bagnoli, a seaside district in western Naples, schools were ordered to close on Thursday by city authorities, who said waiting areas had also been set up for residents afraid to go home. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was constantly monitoring the situation and was in contact with the relevant officials. Seismic activity is nothing new in the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) area, Europe's largest active caldera—the hollow left after an eruption. But many of the 500,000 inhabitants living in the danger zone had already been spooked by a 4.4-magnitude quake in May 2024, which was the biggest for 40 years. At that time, there were no injuries or any major structural damage. The eruption of Campi Flegrei 40,000 years ago was the most powerful in the Mediterranean. A resurgence of seismic activity in the early 1980s led to a mass evacuation that reduced Pozzuoli to a ghost town. Specialists, however, say a full-blown eruption in the near future remains unlikely.
Asharq Al-Awsat
25-01-2025
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sinner Eyes Back-to-Back Australian Open Titles against Zverev
Defending champion Jannik Sinner will look to seal back-to-back Australian Open titles and deny second seed Alexander Zverev a maiden Grand Slam crown in the men's final on Sunday. Also on Sunday, the women's doubles final sees top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend face Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei and Latvian Jelena Ostapenko. A year after overhauling Daniil Medvedev in five sets in the 2024 final, Jannik Sinner will be favorite to win Sunday's decider and become the first man to retain the title since Novak Djokovic's "three-peat" from 2019-21. Top seed Sinner would become the 11th man to go back-to-back in the professional era, joining the likes of Roger Federer (2006-07, 2017-18) and Andre Agassi (2000-01). Having won the US Open last year, Sinner could also become the first Italian to win three Grand Slam titles, moving past his tie with Nicola Pietrangeli, a back-to-back winner of the men's singles at Roland Garros (1959-60). Sinner arrives in the final in top form, having won his last 20 matches. He thrashed Australian number one Alex De Minaur in the quarter-finals and also beat rising American talent Ben Shelton in straight sets in the semis. Physically, though, it has not all been smooth sailing for the 23-year-old, who suffered cramps against Shelton and had dizzy spells on a hot day during his four-set win over Holger Rune in the fourth round. With a maximum 27 degrees Celsius (80 F) forecast on Sunday, Sinner may be relieved that the match is scheduled in the evening cool. His run to the final has come while a long-standing doping case stemming from failed drug tests last March hangs over his head. Though cleared to play by tennis's integrity authority, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is seeking a ban of up to two years for the Italian at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The hearing is set for April. Sinner has so far proved impervious to external distractions, though, and the extra weight of being defending champion. "I'm trying to take the things away in my head, the pressure," he said. "Even if it's easy to say, but difficult to do. "I will try to do that and also enjoy these moments. We won six very, very tough matches." ZVEREV CHASING LONG-AWAITED GRAND SLAM BREAKTHROUGH As a teenage up-and-comer, Zverev once generated the same level of excitement that Sinner enjoyed before his maiden Grand Slam title win at Melbourne Park in 2024. However, predictions of major trophies have not come to pass for the 27-year-old German despite a couple of near-misses. He was overhauled by Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final last year when he was two sets-to-one ahead and also surrendered a two-set lead to fall to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open decider. Despite wielding a huge serve, one of the game's most potent backhands and decent court movement for a 6 ft-6 in (1.98m) man, Zverev is vulnerable to wilting under pressure and has struggled to shrug off perceptions of mental fragility. Once shut down at the Grand Slams by Djokovic, Federer and Rafa Nadal, the younger generation led by Sinner and Alcaraz has more recently emerged to thwart Zverev's ambitions. Chastened by his French Open final loss to Alcaraz last year where he tired late in the match, Zverev re-hired trainer Jez Green to build staying power for five-set matches. He comes into Sunday's final relatively fresh after Djokovic retired injured after one set of their semi-final. Zverev also holds a 4-2 winning record over Sinner which includes hardcourt victories at the 2021 and 2023 US Open tournaments. But Sinner won their last match on hardcourt at Cincinnati last year when he was virtually untouchable. With Sinner almost unmatched for the potency and accuracy of his shot-making, Zverev's best chance of victory may be in dragging the Italian into a long dogfight and putting his serve to work in tiebreaks. "Again, my goal is still to compete with the big guys and to compete for these kinds of tournaments and try to win them," said Zverev. "I'm looking forward to Sunday. I do feel like I have done the work, and I do feel like I'm ready for it."
