Largest Earthquake in 40 Years Strikes Near Naples, Italy

11 Hospitalized Due to Earthquake
Some Buildings, Including Churches and Schools, Closed

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred in the volcanic area near Naples in southern Italy.

According to AP News, BBC, Euronews, and others, at around 1:25 a.m. local time on the 13th, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck off the coast near Naples. This earthquake, along with another of the same magnitude that occurred in May last year, was recorded as the strongest earthquake in the region in 40 years.

Vehicle damaged by falling debris caused by an earthquake in Poli. Photo by ANSA

Reports indicate that many residents of Naples city and surrounding areas were gripped by fear and rushed out into the streets. Some residents, unable to open doors damaged by the earthquake, urgently escaped through windows.

Building exterior walls collapsed, damaging parked vehicles with falling debris, and some buildings developed cracks. In the Bagnoli area, close to the epicenter, the ceiling collapsed due to the earthquake, injuring one person, though their life is not in danger.

Eleven people, including those with bruises or cuts from broken glass, were transported to hospitals, and some buildings such as churches and schools were closed.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a statement through the Prime Minister's Office on the same day, saying that the situation is being continuously monitored and that close discussions on countermeasures are underway with relevant ministries.

Campi Flegrei is a volcanic crater area located on the western outskirts of Naples, where earthquakes frequently occur due to magma activity inside the volcano. Currently, more than 800,000 people live there. The Campi Flegrei volcano, which last erupted in 1538, has shown continuous ground uplift since 2005. The rate of ground deformation and the frequency of small and large earthquakes in the area have also been increasing recently.

However, experts from the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) analyzed that there is no sign of "shallow magma ascent," which is considered a precursor to an eruption, and currently, the possibility of a large-scale eruption is low.