Rome: A volcanic caldera near the southern Italian city of Naples was hit by the strongest tremors in a decade on Monday night, causing panic among residents but no major damage.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake was recorded at a depth of 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) at 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT), according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
The 3.5 magnitude earthquake was followed by dozens of aftershocks.
The Campi Flegrei, or Phlegraean Fields, as the caldera is known, experienced about 150 earthquakes between 7:51 p.m. Monday and 12:31 a.m. Tuesday, said the INGV report.
According to Mauro Di Vito, representative of the institute, “this is the strongest seismic group in the last 40 years”.
Emergency services in the region reported shards and pieces flying from buildings, while a video taken from a supermarket in Pozzuoli showed bottles crashing to the floor after being shaken from shelves.
Schools in the city will remain closed on Tuesday and temporary shelters have been set up to accommodate feared residents, Mayor Luigi Manzoni said on Facebook.
INGV said it will continue to monitor the caldera and “it cannot be ruled out that another seismic event may occur”.
Campi Flegrei is located between Pozzuoli and Naples, in the shadow of the more famous Mount Vesuvius in the east.
Campi Flegrei experienced an explosion 40,000 years ago that affected the planet’s climate, causing residents and scientists to worry about a resurgence of activity due to gases released by the magma.
“We have to live in fear all the time,” a resident of Pozzuoli told public channel Rainews.
Experts say a full explosion is unlikely in the near future.
