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EARTHQUAKES

Italy’s southern Molise region rocked by 4.6 earthquake

A powerful earthquake shook the southern Italian region of Molise just before midnight on Tuesday, though no damage was reported.

Published: 29 March 2023 09:35 CEST
Italy's southern Molise region rocked by 4.6 earthquake
Rural Molise in south-eastern Italy. Photo by Lorenzo Lamonica on Unsplash

The earthquake hit at 11.52pm local time and reached a magnitude of 4.6, with the epicentre near the city of Campobasso in the Molise region, according to the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology.

READ ALSO: Which parts of Italy have the highest risk of earthquakes?

An initial report from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said it was a magnitude 5.4 quake but the Italian Geophysics and Volcanology Institute (INGV) put it at 4.6.

The quake’s epicentre was in Montagano, near the city of Campobasso, at a depth of around 23 kilometres (14.3 miles), the INGV said.

The Italian fire brigade tweeted that there had been no calls for help and no damage had been immediately detected.

“Luckily, from a first reconnaissance lap, the situation seems good: no particular damage has been reported,” the mayor of Montagano, Giuseppe Tullo, said in a video posted on social media.

“Checks will have to be carried out in more detail, obviously. Many people took to the streets: there was so much fear… The shock was felt very strongly.”

He said schools in the surrounding area would be closed on Wednesday while checks are carried out.

The quake was also reportedly felt in the surrounding regions of Campania, Abruzzo, Puglia and lower Lazio.

It followed a smaller 3.2 magnitude quake recorded in the same area on Monday.

Italy is among the European countries most at risk from earthquakes, according to mapping by the European Facilities for Earthquake Hazard and Risk (EFEHR).

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EARTHQUAKES

Italy’s Siena province shaken by 3.4 earthquake

A 3.4-magnitude earthquake shook the Siena province, central Tuscany, on Tuesday evening, resulting in no damage but causing residents to run out into the streets.

Published: 17 April 2024 09:50 CEST
Italy’s Siena province shaken by 3.4 earthquake

The quake, which occurred at 7.49pm local time, did not result in any damage but caused “panic” among residents, with many rushing out into the streets, Tuscany’s president Eugenio Giani said.

The epicentre was located four kilometres east of the town of Poggibonsi, in the Siena province, at a depth of around 8.3 kilometres, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).

The quake was initially estimated to have been between 3.2 and 3.7 on the Richter magnitude scale before official data placed it at 3.4. 

Poggibonsi mayor David Bussagli said the quake “was felt distinctly” but “no damage to people or things” had been reported.

The tremor was also felt by residents in Florence, Arezzo and Pisa, according to local media reports.

READ ALSO: What to do in an earthquake in Italy

Tremors are not new to the area. A 3.5 quake struck the city of Siena, which is famous for its artistic heritage and the Palio horse race, last February, causing local museums, schools and universities to close for a day. 

Italy is among the most earthquake-prone countries in Europe as the Italian peninsula lies right where the African tectonic plate converges with the Eurasian plate, meaning that the country is “seismic in its entirety”, according to the country’s Civil Protection Department.

READ ALSO: Which parts of Italy have the highest risk of earthquakes?

Italy has been hit by more than 30,000 medium to strong earthquakes over the past 2,500 years, and seven earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.5 or more in the 20th century alone.

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