An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale hit the central Italian town of Macerata early on Tuesday morning, with the tremors felt as far away as Rome.
The first tremor was felt at 5:11 am, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv), with its epicentre around 2 kilometres from the small town of Muccia. The impact was felt several kilometres away, with reports in Macerata, Ancona, Pesaro, Umbria, Lazio, including in the capital Rome.
No injuries had been reported as of 9 am, however there was some damage to local buildings.
The mayor of Pieve Torina, also located close to the epicentre, said there had been “considerable further damage” in his town during a radio interview.
A church bell tower dating back to the 17th century reportedly collapsed in Muccia, a town of around 1,000 residents. Italy’s Civil Protection Department was at work on Tuesday morning in the affected towns to check for any further damage to homes or other buildings.
Parts of the local railway were also temporarily closed on Tuesday while workers checked the railway line.
More than ten aftershocks have followed the initial quake, including two with a magnitude of 3.5, registered at 5.46 and 6.03 am.
source: thelocal.it