Strongest earthquake to hit area in 40 years.

The Campi Flegrei or Phlegraean Fields area of Italy's southern Campania region near Naples was shaken by a 4.2-magnitude earthquake at 03.35 on Wednesday 27 September.

Experts said the quake, the latest in a series in recent weeks, was the strongest to hit the area in 40 years.

It occurred at a depth of about three kilometres, according to Italy's Geophysics and Volcanology Institute (INGV).

[DATI #RIVISTI] #terremoto Md 4.2 ore 03:35 IT del 27-09-2023 a Campi Flegrei Prof= 2.9 Km #INGV_36299321 https://t.co/xZZaBgTsnB

— INGVterremoti (@INGVterremoti) September 27, 2023

The earthquake sent people running into the streets in panic however there were no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage, Italy's civil protection department said.

Declared a regional park 20 years ago, the Phlegraean Fields area is a highly seismic zone of supervolcanic calderas, situated to the west of Naples.