by InTrieste
A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck Italy’s Campi Flegrei region early Thursday morning, sending panicked residents into the streets and causing structural damage in Pozzuoli and the Bagnoli district of Naples. Schools in Pozzuoli, Bacoli, and Bagnoli will remain closed as a precaution, local authorities announced.
The earthquake hit at 1:25 a.m. at a depth of two kilometers, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). It was one of the strongest tremors to affect the area in decades, matching the intensity of a quake last May—the most powerful to hit Campi Flegrei in 40 years.
Emergency crews responded to multiple incidents. In Pozzuoli, firefighters rescued a woman trapped after her ceiling collapsed. In Bagnoli, residents had to be freed from their homes, with some escaping through windows, according to Italian news agency ANSA. Many spent the night in their cars fearing aftershocks.
Bacoli Mayor Josi Gerardo Della Ragione urged residents to remain calm and follow official updates.
Seismic Risks in Campi Flegrei
Campi Flegrei, a vast volcanic area west of Naples and about 50 kilometers from Mount Vesuvius, is a highly active seismic zone. Though the last eruption occurred in 1538, earthquakes have been frequent since the 1950s, with a surge in activity in the early 1980s.
Scientists attribute the recent spike in tremors to bradyseism, a phenomenon caused by underground magma movement or hydrothermal activity, leading to land uplift or descent. More than 500,000 people live in the region’s high-risk “red zone.”
Last year, in response to increasing seismic activity, the Italian government revised emergency plans and evacuation protocols. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, warning that further tremors remain possible.
