Strong earthquake shakes Naples area causing outages and transport disruption

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei area near the southern Italian city of Naples on Friday evening, causing power outages, disrupting public transport and damaging several buildings. Authorities said there were no immediate reports of serious injuries, but the tremor prompted widespread concern among residents.

According to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, the earthquake occurred at 7.46 pm local time. The epicentre was located in the Campi Flegrei volcanic area west of Naples at a depth of around three kilometres, making the shaking strongly felt across nearby communities.

The Italian fire service reported minor structural damage to buildings in and around Naples. Emergency crews carried out inspections following the earthquake but said they had not received urgent requests to rescue trapped residents or respond to major incidents.

As a safety measure, local authorities temporarily suspended rail and metro services while infrastructure was inspected for possible damage. Power outages were also reported in several areas as utility crews worked to restore electricity.

Italian media described the earthquake as one of the strongest recorded in the Campi Flegrei region in recent years. Many residents rushed outdoors after feeling the powerful tremors, with videos shared on social media showing people gathering in open spaces while officials assessed the situation.

Campi Flegrei is a large volcanic caldera that covers much of western Naples and is home to hundreds of thousands of people. The area has experienced increasing seismic activity over the past few years, leading the Italian government to strengthen monitoring and emergency preparedness.

Although smaller earthquakes occur regularly in the region, stronger tremors have raised fears of a repeat of the seismic crisis that affected Campi Flegrei in the early 1980s. During that period, continuous earthquakes forced thousands of residents to leave their homes and caused widespread disruption across the area.

Italy is one of Europe’s most earthquake prone countries because of its location along major geological fault lines. The country has experienced several devastating earthquakes over the past decades, many of which caused heavy loss of life and widespread destruction.

One of the most destructive disasters in recent history occurred in central Italy in 2016, when a series of powerful earthquakes struck parts of Lazio, Umbria and the Marche regions. Around 300 people were killed and many towns suffered severe damage.

The deadliest earthquake in modern Italian history occurred in November 1980, when a magnitude 6.9 quake struck the Irpinia region in southern Italy. The disaster claimed about 2,700 lives and destroyed or severely damaged hundreds of towns and villages.

Officials continue to monitor seismic activity around Campi Flegrei following Friday’s earthquake, while inspections of buildings and transport infrastructure remain underway to ensure public safety.