A 4.1-magnitude earthquake rocks Molise
The epicenter was near Pizzone in the province of Isernia—no damage was reported, but many people stayed outside nonetheless
Isernia – Shortly after midnight, an earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale shook the region of Molise. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology pinpointed the epicenter two kilometers west of the town of Pizzone in the province of Isernia, at a depth of ten kilometers. The tremor was felt far beyond the region: in large parts of Abruzzo, in the province of Frosinone in Lazio, and as far as the province of Caserta in Campania.
According to initial assessments, no injuries or property damage were reported. The mayor of Pizzone stated early this morning that an initial assessment had found no damage to buildings or people. Nevertheless, many people in the affected towns left their homes and remained in public squares and parks late into the night. At around 3:41 a.m., monitoring stations recorded an aftershock measuring 2.2 on the Richter scale at a depth of nine kilometers.
An earthquake of this magnitude generally causes no damage at a depth of ten kilometers, but it is clearly felt over a wide area. There is a reason why the people of Molise nevertheless take to the streets so quickly, and it is deeply rooted in the region’s recent history.
On October 31, 2002, an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale struck the same region. In San Giuliano di Puglia, the elementary school collapsed while 58 children and ten adults were inside. Twenty-seven children and one teacher died; a total of 30 people lost their lives. It later emerged that the building had been raised without structural calculations and that the municipality’s seismic classification—which had been updated shortly before—had not been taken into account. The case marked a turning point for Italian seismic building codes; in 2010, the Court of Cassation upheld the convictions of five individuals found responsible.
The region remained seismically active even after that. In August 2018, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake with its epicenter near Montecilfone shook the province of Campobasso, followed by more than a hundred aftershocks within a few days. Most recently, the province of Isernia recorded two weak tremors measuring 2.5 on the Richter scale in January.
Molise is located in the central Apennines, where several active fault zones overlap. Civil defense authorities are monitoring the situation; there are no restrictions for travelers in the region.
