People injured as earthquake strikes Sicily day after Mount Etna eruption (PHOTOS)
At least ten people have been reportedly injured in an earthquake that hit Sicily only a day after the iconic Mount Etna erupted from a new fissure, covering the Italian island with volcanic ash.
A tremor was felt all across Catania on Wednesday morning. The 4.8-magnitude earthquake had damaged numerous buildings, injuring at least ten people, La Republicca reports.
Many of the residents are said to have temporarily left their homes fearing they could collapse.
Crolli in alcune frazioni per il #Terremoto a #Catania. pic.twitter.com/J0VnXE4eap
— Moreno Mantilli (@MorenoMantilli) December 26, 2018
Photos of the damage inflicted by the quake flooded social media. People told of shaking buildings and shattered glass in Catania, a city of 300,000 residents.
🇮🇹➡😮Impresionante Registro de dueña de casa despues del #Terremoto 4.8⚡⏱Madrugada Italiana🇮🇹 #26Dic🔶#Catania#Viagrande#Sicilia#Sicily#Italia🇮🇹#Italy#Temblor#FelizMiercoles#Sismo#Earthquake#WednesdayMorning#Terremoti#Warriors George Michael#Deseos2019pic.twitter.com/VUzLZsdINo
— TEMBLOR ⚡️ 🎅 (@ElLuchin1) December 26, 2018
#terremoto A Piano D’Api (Acireale) 😱. Vivi per miracolo. pic.twitter.com/TUkVWCkcnr
— Raffy1313 (@Raffy1380) December 26, 2018
The Wednesday earthquake comes just a day after Mount Etna erupted from a fresh fissure, sending plumes of smoke into the air. Nearby villages found themselves covered by volcanic ash, and people on the mountainside were evacuated.
#terremoto ML 4.8 ore 03:19 IT del 26-12-2018 a 2 km N Viagrande (CT)@LiveSiciliaCT@Lasiciliaweb@repubblica@SkyTG24@RaiNews@liveunict@CataniaToday@SalvoLaRosatv@ansa_it@AntennaSiciliapic.twitter.com/Md27p4ikpH
— Marta Mendolaro (@MartaMendolaro) December 26, 2018
The eruption also led to the sporadic closure of Catania airport. By Tuesday morning, air traffic was shut down altogether, with Sicily registering around 200 small to medium sized tremors.
Sicilians are being asked to avoid the crater and surrounding areas. Authorities are also worried about the possible damage volcanic ash could have on agricultural crops growing on the island.
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