Strong earthquake near Naples injures scores and triggers evacuations in Campi Flegrei

At least 21 people have been injured after a 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Naples in southern Italy, prompting evacuations and damage checks across the Campi Flegrei area. The quake hit at 7.46pm on Friday and was felt across Naples, the island of Ischia and as far as the Sorrento peninsula. It is the strongest tremor to hit the region in 40 years, according to the supplied report.

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More than 250 people were evacuated from their homes after the quake, which had a depth of 3km. Officials said the shaking caused power outages, disrupted public transport and damaged buildings and a pier. Seismographs then registered about 60 further tremors, including a 3.1-magnitude aftershock at 5.47am that was felt in Bacoli, Pozzuoli and Naples.

Italy's national institute of geophysics and volcanology said the event was part of an ongoing seismic swarm. At least two of the injured were in a critical condition on Saturday morning, while many residents spent the night outside because they feared their buildings might collapse. In Pozzuoli, near the epicentre, a building partially collapsed and large pieces of rubble crushed parked cars, although no injuries were reported there.

Firefighters also received reports of lift failures, and inspections were continuing on nine buildings that had been deemed unsafe. The report said part of a cliff also collapsed, adding to concerns about further instability. The quake matters because it hit Campi Flegrei, a volcanic area west of Naples that has long been monitored for signs of unrest.

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The region is known for repeated seismic activity, and the latest tremor has renewed concern about the impact on homes, transport and public safety. The fact that the shaking was widely felt across a populated area underlines the scale of the disruption and the pressure on emergency services. The supplied report also says residents had already been worried about problems in the area for around a year and a half.

One rescuer said the situation had been foreseeable, while residents described leaving their homes in fear and waiting in the street with young children. Those comments point to frustration over preparedness and the speed of the response, although the article does not provide a formal official assessment of those claims. The strongest confirmed facts remain the injuries, evacuations, damage and continuing aftershocks.

What remains unclear is how many people may still need assistance, how long inspections will take, and whether further tremors will cause additional damage. Authorities are still assessing unsafe buildings and the condition of infrastructure in the affected towns. The key issue now is whether the seismic swarm will continue and whether emergency measures will be expanded if the ground keeps shaking.

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