Latest news with #VesuviusObservatory
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Powerful earthquake jolts Naples, sending residents fleeing
One of the most powerful earthquakes to hit Naples in decades has rocked the Italian city and surrounding region 'like a bomb', sending people running into the streets. Local residents reported hearing a 'roar' and feeling a 'strong tremor' as the 4.6-magnitude quake struck at around 9.15am. The epicentre of the earthquake was just off the coast of the highly active Phlegraean Fields, a volcanic caldera west of the city, at a depth of 1.5 miles. Multiple people living nearby in the seaside town of Bagnoli said it 'seemed like a bomb' had gone off when the quake hit. It measured the same magnitude as an earthquake recorded in the region on March 13, the strongest to hit the region in 40 years. 'We rocked a lot... I'm still shaking,' one woman, living in the Vomero district of the city, told La Repubblica. Another local, who lives in the western Fuorigrotta suburb, described the experience as 'terrifying'. Rail traffic has been temporarily suspended in the city, which is home to more than 900,000 people. No injuries or significant damage have been reported so far, with emergency services assessing he situation in various municipalities this morning. The tremors are part of a seismic swarm, with observers detecting a dozen since just before 9 o'clock this morning and warning that more events cannot be ruled out. The Vesuvius Observatory also recorded a series of small earthquakes overnight, each no greater than magnitude-1. The temblor, of the same magnitude as one that occurred in March and May 2024, was the strongest since the region began scientifically recording quakes some 40 years ago. The most violent earthquake to hit the southern Italian city in recent times - a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in November 1980 - claimed 2,734 lives. The devastating quake also injured more than 8,800 people and laid waste to more than 300 municipalities. The March 13 earthquake which struck the city was initially recorded as being a magnitude of 4.4, but this was later revised to 4.6. The powerful quake, which struck overnight, lasted about 20 seconds and awoke the entire city and large parts of the surrounding region. Firefighters in the western municipality of Pozzuoli pulled an injured woman from the rubble after the ceiling in her house collapsed. There was damage to homes and cars as rocks fell from the facades of the city's old buildings. As with this morning's quake, the epicentre was recorded in the Phlegraean Fields area, beneath which there Europe's largest active volcanic caldera - the hollow left after an eruption. The Phlegraean Fields is an area of ancient volcanos which is seismically and volcanically active. Seismologists have said the latest earthquakes in the Phlegraean Fields area are part of a 'bradyseismic crisis' - which sees the earth slowly rise and fall and has been ongoing since 2005.
Wales Online
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Wales Online
Travel disruption as earthquake hits central Italy
Travel disruption as earthquake hits central Italy It comes as the region is in the grip of a severe heatwave Damage caused by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Naples in March this year An earthquake said to be the strongest in the last 40 years hit central Italy on Monday afternoon. The 4.6 magnitude earthquake was reported at 12.47pm, centred in Bacoli in Naples. Mayor of nearby town Pozzuoli, Luigi Manzoni, said: "At the moment there are no reports of damage. The epicenter was in Bacoli but we are facing a situation to monitor hour after hour. Our volunteers are already out in town checking the situation closely." Several smaller earthquakes were reported shortly after the main event. Local media say trains, including the subway in Naples, were suspended. Mauro Antonio Di Vito, director of the Vesuvius Observatory of the INGV, said: "The event does not surprise us. Even after weeks of seismic silence, the rock can accumulate stress and then release energy. This is typical behaviour of the Phlegraean system. "We cannot predict earthquakes, but today there are no signs that indicate worst-case scenarios. It is essential to communicate correctly, without fueling panic or giving false reassurances." Article continues below Italy is currently in the grip of a severe heatwave. Lazio, Tuscany, Calabria, Puglia and Umbria were planning to ban some outdoor work activities during the hottest hours of the day in response to the record high temperatures. Italian trade unions pushed the government to expand such measures at a national level. On Sunday, the Italian health ministry placed 21 out of 27 monitored cities under its highest heat alert, including top holiday destinations like Rome, Milan and Naples. In Rome, tourists tried to seek shade near popular spots like the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, using umbrellas and drinking from public water fountains to stay cool. Similar scenes were reported in Milan and Naples, where street vendors sold lemonade to tourists and residents to offer some refreshment from the heat.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Earthquake causes panic and damages homes in Naples
Panicked Naples residents spent the night on the streets after an earthquake injured several people and caused homes to partially collapse. The 4.4 magnitude quake, which struck at 1.25am and was followed by several smaller tremors, was the biggest to hit the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) region, in southern Italy, for 10 months. While the area is known for occasional tremors, Thursday's strong, shallow quake jolted many from their beds. Photographs of the aftermath showed damaged buildings and rubble strewn across cars, as worried locals huddled in the streets. Nearly a dozen people were taken to hospital with minor injuries. One woman was hurt when her ceiling collapsed, while several others suffered cuts caused by shards of broken glass, according to Gaetano Manfredi, the mayor of Naples. In the Bagnoli neighbourhood, where most of the injuries were reported, dozens of residents flocked to the locked entrance of a sprawling former Nato base and demanded it be opened to shelter people. The crowd managed to force open a set of large metal gates before law enforcement officials stopped them and diffused tensions. The tremors were felt across Naples, with power supplies disrupted in some neighbourhoods. It was similar in magnitude to an earthquake last May, which was the strongest to be recorded in the region over the past four decades. Mr Manfredi said: 'It was a particularly intense quake, similar to one awhile back but with an epicentre closer to the city of Naples, so it was felt more in the city.' He said several schools had been forced to close, but added: 'The situation is under control.' Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, said she was monitoring the situation closely and was in constant contact with officials. Francesca Bianco, director of the Vesuvius Observatory, which monitors seismic activity and active volcanoes in the Campania region, said there was no evidence to suggest an 'imminent eruption' would take place. Volcanologists have been keeping a close eye on a recent uptick in seismic activity in the region's 'high-risk' zone, where around 500,000 people live. However, experts say a full-blown eruption in the near future remains unlikely. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
13-03-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
Earthquake causes panic and damages homes in Naples
Panicked Naples residents spent the night on the streets after an earthquake injured several people and caused homes to partially collapse. The 4.4 magnitude quake, which struck at 1.25am and was followed by several smaller tremors, was the biggest to hit the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) region, in southern Italy, for 10 months. While the area is known for occasional tremors, Thursday's strong, shallow quake jolted many from their beds. Photographs of the aftermath showed damaged buildings and rubble strewn across cars, as worried locals huddled in the streets. Nearly a dozen people were taken to hospital with minor injuries. One woman was hurt when her ceiling collapsed, while several others suffered cuts caused by shards of broken glass, according to Gaetano Manfredi, the mayor of Naples. In the Bagnoli neighbourhood, where most of the injuries were reported, dozens of residents flocked to the locked entrance of a sprawling former Nato base and demanded it be opened to shelter people. The crowd managed to force open a set of large metal gates before law enforcement officials stopped them and diffused tensions. The tremors were felt across Naples, with power supplies disrupted in some neighbourhoods. It was similar in magnitude to an earthquake last May, which was the strongest to be recorded in the region over the past four decades. Mr Manfredi said: 'It was a particularly intense quake, similar to one awhile back but with an epicentre closer to the city of Naples, so it was felt more in the city.' He said several schools had been forced to close, but added: 'The situation is under control.' Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, said she was monitoring the situation closely and was in constant contact with officials. Francesca Bianco, director of the Vesuvius Observatory, which monitors seismic activity and active volcanoes in the Campania region, said there was no evidence to suggest an 'imminent eruption' would take place. Volcanologists have been keeping a close eye on a recent uptick in seismic activity in the region's 'high-risk' zone, where around 500,000 people live. However, experts say a full-blown eruption in the near future remains unlikely.
