Pozzuoli Can't Find Peace After the Record-Breaking Earthquake
Collapse at the ancient necropolis drives up the number of closed homes
Pozzuoli – The situation in the Phlegraean Fields has continued to worsen. After part of the complex near the ancient necropolis on Via Celle collapsed, 129 buildings in Pozzuoli have now been evacuated. About 2,000 people are in need of assistance, and there is no end in sight to the inspections.
The crisis was triggered by a 4.7-magnitude earthquake that shook the coastal city on the Gulf of Naples on the evening of July 31. It was the strongest tremor ever recorded instrumentally in the volcanic region, even stronger than the quakes during the crisis of the 1980s. More than 180 aftershocks followed before the INGV’s Osservatorio Vesuviano declared the swarm over. A church tower lost parts of its masonry, and dozens of people were injured.
Nearly 2,000 people receiving care
According to the authorities’ latest interim figures, 729 households—comprising 1,995 people—were affected. The vast majority found private accommodations; 85 people were housed in hotels, and another 67 at the PalaTrincone Sports Palace. A total of 780 applications were received for the rental subsidy for independent housing, covering 2,033 people. Among them are 376 people over the age of 65 and 335 people with disabilities. The municipality clarified that eligibility exists even if there is no formal eviction order, provided that the fire department has confirmed the uninhabitable condition via radio communication.
The collapse at the necropolis affected a burial chamber located directly at the entrance to the Cigliano residential area. Since this is the only access route, several residents were temporarily stranded in their homes until the fire department cleared the way again.
Special Law Instead of a State of Emergency
Politically, the debate centers on the question of what measures the government should take. Campania’s regional president, Roberto Fico, tempered expectations during a meeting in Pozzuoli: No minister had discussed a state of emergency with him, and such a decision would have to be coordinated with Rome anyway. In his view, priority should be given to a special law that permanently reduces the risks, rather than managing the situation with temporary exceptions. The government had previously allocated an additional 100 million euros and raised the state’s share of repair costs for private buildings from 50 to 70 percent.
The ground continues to shift. Bradisismo is currently causing the ground to rise by about one centimeter per month; since 2005, the total rise in the Rione Terra has been just over 167 centimeters. This brings it close to the peak reached during the crisis of 1982 to 1984, which stood at around 180 centimeters. According to the experts, they see no signs of rising magma, nor are there any indications of short-term changes in volcanic activity. For residents, this means one thing above all: the tremors are likely to continue for some time to come.
