A 4.2 magnitude earthquake shook a volcanic field near Naples early Wednesday, the largest in nearly four decades, but Italian authorities said it did not appear to have caused any damage.
The earthquake, which is part of the more than 60 seismic events recorded since early Tuesday morning, occurred at 3:35 a.m. (01:35 GMT), reported the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
The tremor “was felt by the population, but according to the first controls, no damage has been reported so far,” the Italian Civil Protection agency said in a statement.
Los Phlegrean Fields are an area of volcanic craters on the western outskirts of Naples that is under constant surveillance for the risk of earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
The area is prone to bradysism, the slow rise or fall of the ground. The lifting phases “are accompanied by intense local seismic activity,” indicates civil protection on its website.