A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) volcanic region near Naples overnight, injuring several people, damaging buildings, and sending frightened residents into the streets, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The quake hit at 1:25 AM at a depth of 2.5 km, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). It was the strongest tremor in the area in 10 months and was followed by a series of smaller aftershocks.
Fear and Damage in Naples
Terrified residents in Bagnoli, a seaside district of western Naples, rushed outside in fear.
“We can’t go on like this, we can’t sleep. We’re scared,” a resident told Local Team news.
Images broadcast on Italian media showed damaged buildings, shattered car windows, and parts of a church in Bagnoli affected by falling debris. Schools in the district remained closed on Thursday as a precaution.
At least four people sustained injuries, including a woman whose ceiling collapsed and others who suffered cuts from broken glass. According to Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, 11 people went to emergency rooms, though several were cases of panic rather than physical injuries.
Authorities Respond
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she is closely monitoring the situation and remains in contact with local officials.
Mayor Manfredi described the tremor as “particularly intense”, similar in magnitude to a 4.4-magnitude quake in May 2024, but with an epicenter closer to Naples, making it more strongly felt in the city.
During the chaos, a group of people attempted to enter an abandoned former NATO base in Bagnoli, likely seeking shelter.
“There was a moment of panic … but then everything calmed down,” Manfredi said, reassuring that the situation is “under control”.
A Volcanic Threat?
The Campi Flegrei area is Europe’s largest active volcanic caldera, measuring 12 by 15 km, and has a history of significant eruptions. The last major seismic crisis in the 1980s forced a mass evacuation, turning the nearby city of Pozzuoli into a ghost town.
While experts continue to monitor the situation, they emphasize that a major eruption remains unlikely in the near future.
Authorities are urging residents to remain calm and follow safety guidelines as they assess the full extent of the damage.
