Naples shaken by 4.4 magnitude earthquake

The Italian city of Naples was shaken by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake in the early hours of Thursday, sending panicked residents out onto the streets.

The earthquake caused damage to some buildings but no serious injuries or deaths were reported. As a precautionary measure, many people slept outside in cars and tents, and schools remained shut on Friday until buildings are checked for any damage.

Power supply in parts of Naples was also disrupted.

The earthquake struck at 1:25am local time, at a shallow depth of three kilometres, according to Italian seismologists. The epicentre was in the town of Pozzuoli, where one injured person had to be extracted from the rubble of a partially collapsed house.

Pozzuoli lies in the Phlegraean Fields, a volcanic basin just outside Naples and which has has experienced a gradual increase in seismic activity since 2018, according to the Italian Civil Protection Department.