The earthquake struck the area three minutes after midnight. The epicenter was located in the Tyrrhenian Sea west of Naples and about 16 kilometers south of the island of Ischia, the US Geological Service USGS said. According to her, the earthquake had a magnitude of six.
The exact extent of the damage caused by Tuesday’s earthquake is still unclear. According to seismologists, light to moderate damage can be expected from an earthquake measuring approximately six degrees on the Richter scale. Given that the epicenter was at a depth of about 400 km, no major damage is expected.
However, many residents of Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Capri and parts of Campania clearly felt the earthquake and described it as a long, deep rumble followed by a noticeable tremor. The city that could feel the earthquake the most is Anacapri, approximately 8 kilometers from the epicenter.
So far, no damage or collapsed buildings have been reported in the area. Although the local authorities have started inspections of sensitive buildings and other objects, the situation seems to be calm. Technical checks affected only rail transport, where delays of up to an hour are created.
Extremely strong earthquake
The region was hit by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake last March, which the media described as the strongest in the last 40 years. At that time, more than ten people suffered minor injuries and hundreds of residents of Naples spent the night in the streets after the earthquakes.
According to preliminary data, it seems that the earthquake could have been the strongest in this area of the Tyrrhenian Sea since the year 1000, according to historical INGV data. However, this fact has not yet been officially confirmed.
Such strong and deep tremors are very rare in this particular area. Most likely, it was an event that is associated with the subduction (a phenomenon where one lithospheric plate slides under another) of the Ionian oceanic crust under the Calabrian arc.
