Naples and Campi Flegrei rocked by strong 4.4-magnitude quake
The quake hit at 1.25am and had its epicentre on the coastline east of Pozzuoli, at a depth of 2.5 kilometres, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
It was followed by a series of smaller tremors in what experts described as a "seismic swarm".
Italy's Civil Protection Agency said on social media platform X that 'initial checks' carried out by officers on the ground reported 'minor damage' to local infrastructure and 'one injured person' following the collapse of a suspended ceiling.
Italian news agency Ansa identified the injured person as a woman living in Bagnoli, a seaside district west of Naples.
Ansa said the woman 'sustained some abrasions' and was immediately assisted by fire service officers.
Dozens of people in Naples spent the night on the streets or in their cars after the earthquake shook the city.
Italy's Civil Protection Agency reportedly responded to hundreds of calls from residents in the hours following the quake.
Schools in the towns of Pozzuoli, Bacoli and Bagnoli were set to remain closed on Thursday as a precautionary measure, local authorities said.
Bacoli Mayor Josi Gerardo Della Ragione urged residents to "remain calm" and contact local authorities for all the latest updates.
The quake on Thursday came a little over a month after the same area was struck by two 3.9-magnitude quakes within hours of each other in early February.
The Campi Flegrei is a volcanic caldera – a large, basin-like depression that forms when a volcano collapses into itself, usually following a major eruption.
The volcano last erupted in 1538.
The region, which is home to around half a million people, has experienced intense seismic activity over the past two years due to a phenomenon known as 'bradyseism' – the slow, vertical movement of the Earth's surface due to changes in the volume of magma and hot gases.
It was hit by a 4.2-magnitude quake – the strongest in four decades – in September 2023.
This was followed by a 4.0-magnitude quake in early October 2023.
There were no reports of injuries in both cases.
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