Irpinia shook again: another earthquake of magnitude 2.1 was recorded at 2.45 am in Montefredane after three earthquakes the previous evening which caused panic among the population.
The strongest, a magnitude 4.0, along with the others, were recorded on Saturday evening, shortly before 10:00 p.m., with its epicenter between Montefredane and Prata di Principato Ultra, in the province of Avellino. The quake was also distinctly felt in the provinces of Naples, Salerno, and Benevento, sparking moments of fear among residents.
Despite the shock, no injuries or serious damage were reported. Inspections carried out overnight by the Fire Department and Civil Protection revealed no structural issues. However, many residents preferred to spend the night in their cars or in shelters set up in Avellino, including the one at the San Tommaso school.
The first seismic event was recorded at 9:49 PM, with a magnitude of 4.0 and a depth of 14 kilometers. A few minutes later, at 9:59 PM, a second shock of magnitude 2.0 struck, with its epicenter in Prata di Principato Ultra, and at 10:08 PM a third of magnitude 2.4, again in Montefredane.
The Prefect of Avellino, Rossana Riflesso, activated the Rescue Coordination Center (CCS), which is in constant contact with the Department of Civil Protection and the Ministry of the Interior. All Municipal Operations Centers (COCs) in the province have been mobilized to monitor the situation.
Schools will remain closed tomorrow as a precaution in Avellino, Montefredane, Grottolella, Altavilla Irpina, Capriglia Irpina, and Atripalda, pending structural inspections.
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Meanwhile, the regional Civil Protection has also issued a weather alert for heavy rains affecting the area, heightening awareness of potential hydrogeological problems.
The Province of Avellino, through its technical services, has arranged a series of targeted checks:
Roads: surveys of the infrastructure sections of the Sabato and Calore basins, including inspections of bridges, viaducts, retaining walls, and embankments.
School buildings: Priority visual inspections of schools in Atripalda, Avellino, Montefredane, Manocalzati, and Grottolella, with updates to seismic vulnerability assessments.
Soil and water conservation: Checks will be conducted on the Sabato and Calore Irpino waterways to identify any micro-cracks or collapses in riverbank structures.
Provincial assets: inspections of public buildings and structures located in municipalities near the epicenter.
Experts at the INGV (National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology) specify that the tremors are not linked to the activity of the Campi Flegrei or Vesuvius, but to the regional faults of Irpinia.
The trauma of the earthquake of November 23, 1980, which claimed nearly three thousand lives, remains vivid in the collective memory. This memory returns forcefully as we approach the 45th anniversary, making every earthquake a cause for great apprehension for a region that has never ceased to live with the fear of earthquakes.
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