A 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck the seismically active Campi Flegrei area near Naples on Tuesday. There were further quakes in Campi Flegrei on Wednesday.
Schools and the local branch of the University of Naples were evacuated as people fled to the streets. The tremor was also felt in Naples, where schools were similarly evacuated.
The main shock was followed by a ‘seismic swarm’ of seven smaller quakes, intensifying concerns in a region already grappling with recurrent seismic activity. Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci convened a meeting with the civil protection department to address the situation.
Matteo and Rota, an elderly couple aged 86 and 83 who have lived in Campi Flegrei for over 50 years, described the terrifying experience to reporters. “First there was a very loud roar and then the floor seemed to be about to explode,” said Matteo. “I heard a loud noise and then the floor wouldn’t stop moving,” added Rota. “Glass and flower holders fell. Here everyone is on the street, we are tired even of leaving our house, it will never end.”
Rota also expressed concern about the area’s infrastructure, noting that traffic gridlock would prevent effective evacuation in the event of a larger quake. “If we really had to escape, the streets would be blocked. There would be no possibility of escape,” she said.
Another quake today
The Campi Flegrei region, also known as the Phlegrean Fields, is currently experiencing bradyseism – a phenomenon involving ground uplift due to magma movement underground. Over the past year, the area has been shaken by a series of earthquakes, prompting Musumeci to appoint a special commissioner for risk prevention measures. The minister has criticised decades of unchecked urban development in the volcanic zone, which has complicated evacuation plans and heightened the risk to residents.
On Wednesday, another tremor measuring 3.1 magnitude struck 10.6 km from Naples, further unsettling the region. The quake, which occurred at a shallow depth of 2.5 km, was widely felt.
