Population in fear

Strongest earthquakes for decades around Naples

Many people spent the night outdoors (pictured) or spent the night in cars for fear of further tremors.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/LaPresse)

The area around the Italian city of Naples has been shaken by the most violent earthquakes in decades. Between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, around 150 tremors were measured in the so-called Phlegraean Fields, a very active volcanic region west of Mount Vesuvius.

According to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), a magnitude 4.4 quake was recorded on Monday evening. Prior to this, there had already been earthquakes with a magnitude of 3.5, which were followed by dozens of aftershocks.

According to the INGV, these were the most violent earth tremors in 40 years. The institute announced that further quakes of a similar magnitude could occur. Accordingly, another quake with a magnitude of 4.4 was measured on Tuesday morning - at 11.22 am.

Schools remained partially closed
Rescue services in the region reported cracks in buildings and fallen objects. An amateur video from the city of Pozzuoli showed bottles falling from shelves and rolling across the floor in a supermarket as a result of the tremors.

Dozens of households and prisons evacuated
In Pozzuoli, 39 families were evacuated from their homes. Damage to the residential buildings was reported due to the earthquake, according to the civil defense. Parts of the women's prison in the town west of Naples were also evacuated. There were no injuries.

Schools in the city remained closed. Emergency shelters were set up as a point of contact for frightened residents, as Mayor Luigi Manzoni announced on Facebook. Some schools in two districts of Naples were also closed for safety reasons. The local authorities checked buildings and railroad tracks in the surrounding area for damage.

Sports halls converted into reception centers
Many people spent the night in their cars for fear of further tremors. Some sports halls in the towns of Pozzuoli and Bacoli were converted into reception centers for the frightened population.

According to volcanologist Mauro Di Vito, Director of the INGV Vesuvius Observatory, further earthquakes cannot be ruled out. There is growing concern among the population of the affected region around Naples about further tremors and volcanic activity.

The Phlegraean Fields, an area with high volcanic activity in the southern Italian region of Campania, have been hit by many small earthquakes for some time. These are mostly small and barely noticeable tremors that weaken the earth's crust in the area.

Yellow alert level for eleven years
For eleven years now, the area has been on yellow alert, which calls for caution. However, there have also been stronger earth tremors in recent months. Most recently, there was a stronger earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 last September.