Earthquake in the Gulf of Naples: emergency meeting at the Prefecture. INGV: "No link to bradyseism."

Naples – A night of apprehension, followed by a morning of checks and institutional coordination. At 00:03 AM, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the ground off the Gulf of Naples, rekindling concerns about local safety. To assess the situation, the Prefect of Naples, Michele di Bari, urgently convened the Rescue Coordination Center (CCS).

The meeting was attended by security and emergency management leaders: from the Director of the INGV, Lucia Pappalardo, to the Regional Director of Civil Protection, Italo Giulivo, as well as the mayors of coastal municipalities and islands, representatives of the Police Forces, the Coast Guard, the Local Health Authorities, and the Italian Railway Network (RFI).

Earthquake Geology: A "Deep" and Isolated Event

The technical data emerging during the summit provided the most important reassurance. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology specified that the earthquake's hypocenter was located at a depth of 414 kilometers.

This characteristic makes the event completely autonomous and not attributable to the volcanic or bradyseismic dynamics affecting the Phlegraean Fields. Its considerable depth prevented the energy released by the magnitude 5.9 earthquake from producing destructive effects on the surface or generating anomalous waves on coastal areas.

No critical issues on the coast

During a meeting at the Prefecture, the mayors and special commissioners of the coastal municipalities and islands in the Gulf confirmed the absence of damage. Despite the initial shock among the population, field inspections revealed no critical issues with buildings or infrastructure.

However, the alert remains high on the preventative front: the Port Authority is continuing monitoring activities along the entire coastline to rule out any possible collapse of cliffs or instability in the most fragile stretches of coast.

Prevention and new Emergency Plans

The seismic event also provided an opportunity to review the region's resilience. During the meeting, it emerged that the municipal Civil Protection Plans are being updated, with a specific focus on tsunami risk and rapid evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency.

"The situation is being closely monitored by the Prefecture," the offices in Piazza del Plebiscito announced. The goal is to ensure the rescue operations are constantly up and running and ready to respond, even in the face of natural disasters like last night's, which highlight the complex geology of the Campania region.