Epicenter Phlegraean Fields Another earthquake near Naples - people in panic

Once again, the region to the west of the metropolis is shaken by several earthquakes. Frightened people run into the streets. The mayor recommends: stay calm.

The densely populated west of the southern Italian metropolis of Naples has once again been shaken by a strong earthquake. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) gave the magnitude as 4.4.

The measuring station located the epicenter in the Phlegraean Fields, a so-called supervolcano below the city.

In the city of Pozzuoli, people ran into the streets in panic. Rail traffic was suspended as a precaution. Classes were suspended in many schools. No major damage was initially reported. Many holidaymakers are currently staying in the region, especially on offshore islands such as Capri.

Mayor urges calm

According to the institute, the strongest earth tremor to date was registered shortly after midday, at 12.07 pm. There were also many other tremors, which experts call a swarm. The tremors were felt particularly strongly in the towns around the Phlegraean Fields, such as Pozzuoli.

Mayor Gigi Manzoni recommended keeping calm. "The strong tremors have inevitably frightened the population," he explained. Manzoni instructed the police to take to the streets with patrols.

Several quakes in recent months

The Phlegraean Fields are an area of high volcanic activity in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis of Naples and have been hit by earthquakes for some time. Most of the time, the tremors are barely noticeable. In recent months, however, there have been several more violent tremors. For the past eleven years, the area has been on yellow alert, which calls for caution.

Supervolcanoes are characterized by a particularly large magma chamber and enormous violence. Unlike normal volcanoes, they literally explode. However, no one can say when the next eruption will take place. The volcano Vesuvius, whose eruption buried the ancient city of Pompeii almost 2000 years ago, is also located near Naples. Today it is an archaeological site that was visited by more than four million people last year.