A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei area near the southern Italian city of Naples on Friday, causing power outages, disrupting rail and metro services, and damaging some buildings, authorities said.
The earthquake struck at 7:46 p.m. local time (1746 GMT). Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the epicenter was in the Campi Flegrei area west of Naples at a depth of about 3 kilometers (2 miles).
A car crushed by rubble stand on a debris-covered Via Pergolesi after a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei area, in Pozzuoli, Italy, July 31, 2026. REUTERS/Salvatore Laporta
Italy’s fire service reported minor damage to buildings in and around Naples but said crews had not received any immediate requests to assist or rescue residents.
As a precaution, local authorities suspended rail and metro services following the quake.
Italian media described it as one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the area, with residents in several neighborhoods rushing into the streets as the tremors struck.
Seismic Activity Raises Concerns
Campi Flegrei, a densely populated volcanic caldera that encompasses much of western Naples, has experienced increasingly frequent seismic activity in recent years, prompting the Italian government to strengthen monitoring efforts.
A view shows a damaged vehicle among boulders and debris after a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei area, in Pozzuoli, near Naples, Italy, July 31, 2026. REUTERS/Salvatore Laporta
Although minor earthquakes are common in the area, stronger tremors have renewed fears of a repeat of the seismic crisis that affected Campi Flegrei in the early 1980s, causing widespread disruption and forcing thousands of residents to leave their homes.
Italy experiences earthquakes relatively frequently.
In 2016, a series of powerful earthquakes devastated parts of the central regions of Lazio, Umbria, and Marche, killing around 300 people.
The country’s deadliest earthquake in recent decades was a magnitude 6.9 temblor that struck the Irpinia area of southern Italy in November 1980, killing about 2,700 people and devastating hundreds of towns.
