Just in: Residents sleep on streets as Italian city of Naples rattled by 4.4-magnitude earthquake

A powerful earthquake struck Naples and its surrounding areas, forcing many residents to spend the night on the streets or in their cars out of fear of aftershocks.

The 4.4-magnitude tremor, recorded at 01:25 local time (00:25 GMT) on Thursday, caused widespread disruption, including power outages in parts of the city.

Italian seismologists placed the epicenter at a shallow depth of three kilometers (two miles), while the US Geological Survey measured it at 4.2 magnitude at a depth of 10 km.

In Pozzuoli, a town near the quake’s epicenter, one person was pulled from the rubble of a partially collapsed house, highlighting the impact of the tremor.

Naples sits atop the Phlegraean Fields, a volcanic basin prone to seismic activity, making the region particularly susceptible to earthquakes.

The tremor was felt across the Campania region and was followed by at least two weaker aftershocks, prompting widespread concern.

Fearing further instability, residents evacuated their homes, gathering outside in the middle of the night. Images later showed a damaged house and a car with a smashed windscreen, illustrating the quake’s force.

Authorities set up a rescue coordination center to assess the extent of the damage, while officials ordered school closures in Pozzuoli and two nearby neighborhoods to conduct structural safety checks, according to Corriere Della Sera.