A 5.1 magnitude earthquake occurred this morning off the coast of Calabria, affecting Italy and Malta. Authorities noted a significant level of anxiety following the earthquake as individuals reported being awakened by the shaking. Thankfully, there have been no reports of injuries or significant damages at this time.
Residents in various locations in Malta and Gozo experienced the earthquake, with reports indicating that individuals in Marsascala, Mġarr, Valletta, St Julian’s, Sliema, Kirkop, St Paul’s Bay, and Birkirkara were disturbed from their sleep.
Emergency hotlines in both Italy and Malta were inundated with calls post the earthquake, although there have been no reports of injuries or damages so far. This recent earthquake is not the first to hit Calabria in recent days, with small tremors felt on January 6 and 7 in different parts of the region.
Domenico Costarella, the head of the Calabria Region’s Civil Protection Department, mentioned that residents clearly felt the quake but reassured that no damages were reported yet. According to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, the earthquake’s epicenter was off the Ionian coast at a depth of 65km.
Reports from Times of Malta indicated that people across the island were awakened by the shaking. The earthquake occurred off the southern tip of Italy just before 6am local time, leading to reports of tremors in various parts of Italy and Malta.