An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale struck central Italy, north of Florence, on Monday morning, forcing homes and schools to evacuate but without causing any damage that was immediately noticed, local authorities said.
In some areas, schools were closed as a precaution and trains were delayed pending checks on railway lines.
Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) measured the earthquake at a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale, with the epicenter near Marradi, a city of about 3,000 inhabitants in the province of Florence, in the Apennine Mountains.
It took place at 5:10 am (4:10 am in Lisbon). According to the latest information from the President of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani, more than 55 aftershocks have been registered in the Marradi area since then.
The second strongest shock occurred at 8:12 a.m. local time, 5 km from Marradi, with a magnitude of 2.9.
Fire officials wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that frightened residents called emergency services, but “no injuries have been reported at this time.”
The mayor of Marradi, Tommaso Triberti, told television Rainnews24 that firefighters carried out checks in private homes.
“There is a lot of concern. All the people are on the streets, but no damage has been reported,” he said.
An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale struck the nearby town of Mugello in 2019, causing only minimal damage, cracking the facade of a 17th-century church.
The town of Mugello was hit by a devastating earthquake in 1919, one of the worst of the century, killing around 100 people.
The Central Apennines are at high risk of seismic activity.
Source: DN
