The Italian city of Naples has been hit by a 4,6 magnitude earthquake, the most powerful in four decades. The tremors lasted 20 seconds and were centered at a depth of 2,4 kilometers off the western coast, the Daily Mail reports.
Residents of the city of 900-thousand describe the incident as an explosion of enormous power. The natural disaster led to a temporary suspension of rail service and a mass evacuation of citizens from their homes.
Despite the strength of the earthquake, serious damage and human casualties were avoided. Damage to individual buildings and parked vehicles from falling fragments of buildings was recorded.
The last catastrophic earthquake in the region occurred in 1980 with a magnitude of 6,9, taking the lives of 2,7 thousand people.
