Is an eruption imminent?

Earthquake on Mount Vesuvius causes fear in Naples

The last eruption of the volcano was 80 years ago: it began on March 18, 1944 and lasted ten days.(Bild: AFP/Ludovic Marin / AFP)

The area around the Vesuvius volcano near the southern Italian city of Naples was shaken by an earthquake on Saturday. There was initially no news of casualties or major damage.

Local residents reported tremors lasting several minutes on social media. Some of them ran into the streets in fear.

According to the Naples-based research center, the epicenter was on the slopes of the volcano, in a densely populated area not far from the city in the east. It was recorded at a depth of three kilometers. The earthquake was clearly felt in the higher buildings in Naples.

Another earthquake area in the densely populated region is actually considered dangerous: the Campi Flegrei, literally translated as the Burning Fields - an area covering a total of 150 square kilometers that extends both on land and in the sea. There was a magnitude 3.4 earthquake in the sea on March 3.

About Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius, 1281 meters high, is the local mountain of the city with more than 900,000 inhabitants. It also dominates the Gulf of Naples. Such tremors have been reported repeatedly in recent weeks.

Last eruption 80 years ago
The last eruption of the volcano was 80 years ago: it began on March 18, 1944 and lasted ten days. Despite the evacuation of more than 10,000 people, 26 people died.

The last eruption of the volcano was 80 years ago: it began on March 18, 1944 and lasted ten days.(Bild: AFP/Ludovic Marin / AFP)

In 79 AD, ash, mud and lava buried the ancient city of Pompeii after several eruptions of Mount Vesuvius. Today, the site is one of the most visited sights in Italy.