Three Earthquakes Hit Central Italy In One Hour

A series of earthquakes hit central Italy on January 18, as the region shivers in freezing temperatures.

The biggest 5.4-magnitude quake struck at 10:25 local time, with other two following. They hit the same area devastated by quakes in August 2016.

Shockwaves were felt in Rome, 60 miles to the south-west.

Almost 300 people died in the mountainous region around Amatrice in 2016. There are no reports so far of any injuries in the latest quakes.

Image source USGS

The latest quakes mainly affected three neighboring regions – Abruzzo, Lazio and Marche.

Two tremors of more than magnitude 5 hit within an hour of the first, and seismic organizations have recorded strong aftershocks since in the epicenter area some 10km south of Amatrice.

They follow some 36 hours of steady snowfall in areas around Amatrice and Norcia, which is said to be hampering emergency services’ attempts to reach affected areas. In some areas, avalanche warnings have been issued.

Schools that were not already closed in the worst-hit areas were evacuated. Rome’s underground system was shut as a safety precaution.