A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 struck Calabria, Italy, early on August 1, 2024. The epicenter was located near the town of Cosenza.
Despite the significant magnitude, no damages or injuries have been reported so far. The earthquake was felt across a wide area, causing alarm among residents but not leading to any immediate reported structural damage. Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and are conducting further inspections to ensure public safety.
The earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 was recorded by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) at 9:43 PM in the province of Cosenza, with a hypocenter at a depth of 21 km.
The seismic event was felt throughout Calabria and in a large area that includes Puglia, Basilicata, Campania, and Sicily. The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 3 km from Pietrapaola, approximately 50 km from Cosenza and 53 km northwest of Crotone.
The area is considered to have high seismic hazard.
Recently, two earthquakes of magnitude 4 occurred slightly south of this area, between Cirò and San Giovanni in Fiore, on May 24 and May 29, within a seismic sequence of about 260 earthquakes.
Historically, a strong earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.2 occurred on April 25, 1836, in the area, causing damage in many locations up to the tenth degree of the Mercalli scale in Crosia (Cs).
The area affected by tonight’s earthquake is characterized by high seismic hazard, as indicated by the National Seismic Hazard Map (MPS04) and past strong earthquakes. The ShakeMap of today’s event, calculated from INGV and DPC seismic and accelerometric data, shows estimated shaking levels up to nearly the fifth degree of the Mercalli scale.
