Naples has been rocked by a 4.4-magnitude earthquake, the strongest to hit the area in the last 40 years.
The tremors were preceded by a ‘huge roar’, local media reports, sending people running into the streets at around 1.25am.
The powerful quake lasted about 20 seconds and awoke the entire city and surrounding region, with the epicentre detected beneath the municipality of Pozzuoli along the coast.
Firefighters rescued a woman in Pozzuoli after the ceiling in her house collapsed.
In Bagnoli, rescuers worked to free people trapped in their homes, with some residents climbing out windows, according to news agency ANSA.
The earthquake was the joint strongest with a quake recorded in the same area last year.
The epicentre of the May 2024 quake was recorded in the Phlegraean Fields area, beneath which there is a huge volcanic caldera.
Rubble falls from buildings, crushing a vehicle below, after the powerful quake hit the Naples area early this morning
