This Wednesday, March 4th, Catania and its district received a seismic “good morning”! An earthquake with a magnitude between 4.1 and 4.6 Richter struck the area above Ragalna and was clearly felt across the entire southern slope of Mount Etna.

Due to the extremely shallow epicenter (less than 4 km from the surface), the seismic wave was felt as “very strong” throughout the Catania and Acireale areas. Reports came from Acireale (where the earthquake was felt even at ground level), Aci Sant’Antonio, Trecastagni, Pedara, Belpasso, Nicolosi, and of course Paternò, the town closest to the epicenter. Some reports even came from the province of Messina!

Just eight years ago, an earthquake slightly stronger than this one struck the eastern slope, with its epicenter in Fiandaca, causing significant damage to older structures in the Etna villages. There are currently no reports of damage or injury in Ragalna, but the situation is constantly evolving as it will take several hours to assess the full effects of this morning’s tremor—followed, among other things, by two other smaller aftershocks.

MORE NEWS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE