A seismic event measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale has struck parts of Italy, with its epicenter just four miles away from the renowned city of Pisa. The earthquake, occurring at approximately 10:15 am local time, was felt across regions in northern Tuscany, including Lucca, Pisa, and Massa-Carrara.
According to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the quake’s epicenter was near San Piero a Grado, a mere seven kilometers from Pisa, at a relatively shallow depth of about eight kilometers. This shallow depth contributed to the tremor being widely felt across northern Tuscany.
Regional governor Eugenio Giani confirmed the seismic activity on social media, stating that checks are ongoing with the regional emergency system and that the earthquake was strongly felt throughout northern Tuscany. A subsequent tremor of magnitude 3.2 struck at 1:04 pm, with its epicenter approximately five kilometers from Pisa, at a depth of 11 kilometers.
Following the initial earthquake, Bernard Dika, undersecretary to the presidency of the Tuscany Region, reported that numerous calls were made to the regional emergency number 112, and precautionary evacuations were being carried out. Three families were evacuated from a building in San Giuliano Terme due to structural instability caused by the earthquake, necessitating further technical inspections by firefighters.
Fortunately, there were no injuries or significant damage reported. Train services in Pisa were temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure. The earthquake prompted residents to seek safety on the streets, leading to the suspension of court hearings at the local courthouse and the evacuation of the city hall as a safety precaution.