Naples quake stirs Apennine memories of 2009 L'Aquila disaster

A 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Naples on Friday evening, injuring at least 26 people and prompting the evacuation of about 300 residents in what the Guardian described as the strongest tremor to hit the southern Italian region in four decades. The quake, which occurred at 7.46pm local time, caused power outages and damage to properties across the volcanic Campi Flegrei area, with at least five people taken to hospital.

Residents captured the moment a rockfall hit the city of Pozzuoli, west of Naples, as the seismic swarm rattled the region. The Guardian reported that the event is part of a series of tremors that have heightened concerns about the stability of one of Europe's most densely populated volcanic zones.

For those in Abruzzo, the news carries a particular weight. The 2009 earthquake that struck L'Aquila, killing more than 300 people, remains a defining memory for this mountainous region, and each major tremor elsewhere in Italy reopens questions about the state's capacity to protect communities built along the Apennine fault lines.