Terrified residents fled to the streets following two successive earthquakes that rattled homes and prompted evacuations.
The initial quake, as per the Italian National Institute of Geophysics, struck at 9:27 am with a magnitude ranging from 4.0 to 4.5, originating in the Forlì-Cesena province in Italy. Shortly after, at 9:29 am, a second quake hit the Ravenna region, estimated to range between 3.7 and 4.2 in magnitude.
Witnesses reported feeling each quake for about five seconds, causing buildings in Forli to tremble, forcing occupants to evacuate outside. The shallow depth of the tremors at 14 miles meant that the shaking was widely felt, though no injuries have been reported.
Precautionary evacuations have been conducted, leading to the closure of schools in nearby municipalities around the epicenter in Emilia-Romagna. A resident of Faenza shared on social media the strong impact felt during the quakes, noting that children were safely evacuated from classrooms.
Mayor Valentina Palli of Russi, in the Ravenna province, assured that authorities are assessing the earthquake’s effects and emphasized the importance of staying calm. Evacuations were conducted efficiently, with no damage reported at the time.
Mayor Massimo Isola of Faenza echoed the lack of damage reports and commended the composed response to the earthquakes. Checks are ongoing to ensure safety, while reports of minor shaking have been received from as far as Milan, 160 miles away from the epicenter.
Train services have been temporarily halted for inspections on various lines in Romagna to assess any potential damage. A specialized team from the Regional Operations Centre in Bologna is actively investigating the situation, working alongside the fire brigade to evaluate the impact of the earthquakes.