Strongest earthquake in 40 years hits Naples, several injured and material damage
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake shook the Phlegraean Fields area, a volcanic caldera west of Naples. More than 30 aftershocks followed, and dozens of people were injured.
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake shook the Phlegraean Fields area, a volcanic caldera west of Naples. More than 30 aftershocks followed, and dozens of people were injured.
The area around Naples in southern Italy was hit by a strong earthquake of magnitude 4.7 on the Richter scale on Friday evening. According to German broadcaster Tagesschau, it was the strongest earthquake in the Phlegraean Fields area in the past 40 years. The epicenter was located in that vast volcanic caldera west of the city.
According to ANSA, the earthquake occurred at 7:46 PM local time at a depth of about three kilometers. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) recorded numerous reports from frightened residents who noted prolonged shaking. "It shook for 20 seconds, maybe longer, and then the power went out," one resident near the epicenter described on the EMSC platform, as reported by 24sata.
Sources currently disagree on the exact number of injured. Italian agency ANSA reports 21 injured, two of whom are in critical condition. On the other hand, Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci told Euronews that four people were injured, while Tagesschau reports at least eight lightly injured. La Repubblica, meanwhile, writes of ten injured. "We are monitoring the situation with the utmost attention and ensuring full coordination of all operational structures to provide assistance to the population and surveillance of the area," Minister Musumeci told ANSA.
The most significant material damage was recorded in the coastal town of Pozzuoli, where part of a wall of a building on Via Pergolesi collapsed. The Italian fire service reported minor damage to houses and churches, while in the Bagnoli district of Naples, minor falls of cornices and plaster were recorded. In the Fuorigrotta district, there were local power outages.
For safety reasons, rail traffic was temporarily suspended on the Cumana and Circumflegrea lines connecting Naples with settlements in the Phlegraean Fields, announced Rete Ferroviaria Italiana. According to Jutarnji list, the earthquake was also felt on the islands of Ischia and Procida. Many residents spent the night outdoors for fear of aftershocks. In Pozzuoli, the Palatrincone reception center with 185 beds was opened.
The Phlegraean Fields, located about fifteen kilometers west of Naples, are a vast volcanic caldera about 12 kilometers in diameter and one of the most dangerous volcanic areas in the world. Finnish broadcaster YLE recalls that the last eruption was recorded in 1538. Seismic activity in the area has been increasing in recent years, and on June 30, 2025, an earthquake of magnitude 4.6 was recorded.
After the main shock, INGV recorded at least 30 aftershocks, although Euronews cites a figure of ten. The strongest aftershock, of magnitude 3.8, occurred at 10 PM, while the last recorded was at 12:03 AM with a magnitude of 1.6. Head of the Civil Protection Department Fabio Ciciliano and the prefect of Naples Michele di Bari coordinated activities on the ground, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is closely monitoring the situation.
Although this news has no direct connection to Croatia, the Naples area is an extremely popular tourist destination among Croatian citizens, especially during the summer months. For comparison, Novi list recalls that the most devastating earthquake in recent Italian history struck Irpinia in November 1980, with a magnitude of 6.9, killing about 2,700 people. In 2016, a series of earthquakes in central Italy claimed about 300 lives.
