Terrified individuals fled to the streets following two consecutive earthquakes that rattled homes and prompted evacuations.
The initial tremor, as per an early assessment by the Italian National Institute of Geophysics, struck at 9:27 am with a magnitude ranging between 4.0 and 4.5, centered in Forlì-Cesena province, Italy. Shortly after, at 9:29 am, a second quake hit the Ravenna region, measuring between 3.7 and 4.2 in magnitude.
Witnesses mentioned that the quakes lasted around five seconds each, causing buildings in Forli to shake, forcing residents to evacuate outdoors. The shallow depth of the quake at 14 miles made it widely felt, although no injuries have been reported yet.
Precautionary evacuations have been conducted, and schools near the epicenter in Emilia-Romagna have closed. A resident from Faenza shared on social media about the strong tremors felt and the evacuation of children from classrooms, emphasizing their safety.
Russi Mayor Valentina Palli emphasized the need for calmness amid investigations into the earthquake impact, assuring that evacuations were orderly and no damages have been reported.
Reports indicate no damages in Faenza, with Mayor Massimo Isola confirming the composed response of residents to the seismic events. The authorities are conducting thorough checks, but no damages have been reported at the moment.
The earthquakes were felt as far as Milan, 160 miles away from the epicenter, with reports of light shaking. Train services have been temporarily suspended in Romagna for safety checks on various lines.
Efforts to assess and respond to the earthquake are coordinated by the Regional Operations Centre in Bologna, working closely with the Territorial Security and Civil Protection Agency. Specialist teams are on-site in collaboration with the fire brigade to conduct initial assessments.