A magnitude 4.0 earthquake shook the Campi Flegrei area near Naples at 13:46 on Friday, amid an ongoing wave of seismic activity in the volcanic caldera.
The earthquake at Campi Flegrei, occurring at a depth of four kilometres, was felt in several districts of Naples. The Campi Flegrei area, also known as the Phlegraean Fields, is currently experiencing bradyseism, or ground uplift. There has been a series of earthquakes in recent months.
The civil protection department reported no initial damage from Friday’s quake. Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci has appointed a special commissioner for the Campi Flegrei area to oversee risk-prevention measures.
The minister previously criticised the urban development permitted in the region, stating, “The government is giving more than its due on the Phlegraean Fields, one of the most dangerous and complex volcanoes in the world.”
Musumeci highlighted the emerging serious responsibilities of various bodies, including the regional government and the municipalities of Naples, Pozzuoli, and Bacoli. He condemned the “unreasonable, chaotic, and haphazard urban development” authorised without considering the area’s impending dangers, blaming the lack of supervision by those responsible.
