Second quake in days shakes Italy’s volcanic Campi Flegrei, causing no damage

No injuries reported from tremor, though panicked local residents bolt buildings and run into streets; head of national volcanology warns stronger shakes could be coming

A general view of the town hall square in Naples, in the region of Campania, Italy, November 13, 2020. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
A general view of the town hall square in Naples, in the region of Campania, Italy, November 13, 2020. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

ROME, Italy — A 4.0-magnitude earthquake shook Italy’s volcanic region of Campi Flegrei west of Naples Monday, the latest in a series of tremors in recent days, officials said.

The quake, which occurred shortly after 10 p.m. (2000 GMT), did not result in any injuries or damage, the civil protection agency said on X, formerly Twitter, although it did cause panic among residents who spilled out into the streets.

The epicenter was located at a depth of around three kilometers (nearly two miles) between Naples and Pozzuoli, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).

The area around the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) volcano, which last erupted in 1538 and would put half a million inhabitants in danger in the event of an eruption, has been the scene of increased seismic activity in recent days with a series of tremors.

On Wednesday, a 4.2-magnitude quake was recorded, the strongest the area has seen in 40 years.

INGV director Mario Di Vito warned that “it is possible that there will be tremors of greater intensity” in the near future.

Meanwhile, two earthquakes struck northwestern Nepal on Tuesday, sending tremors through the region, the country’s earthquake monitoring center said.

Several houses were reportedly damaged in Bajhang district but there were no immediate reports of any casualties, the district’s chief administrator Narayan Pandey said.

A key highway connecting the district to neighboring areas was blocked by a landslide triggered by the earthquake, he said, adding it was difficult to send machinery to clear the path due to aftershocks.

One man was slightly hurt after a water tank fell off the roof of his house and he was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Most of the houses in the sparsely populated mountainous region are one or two stories, and there are no big buildings.

Nepal’s National Earthquake Monitoring & Research Center said the epicenter for both quakes, with initial magnitudes measuring 5.3 followed by 6.3, was Bajhang district in northwestern Nepal, close to the Indian border.

Tremors were also felt in the Indian capital, New Delhi.

Most Popular
read more: