An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 hit near the southern Italian city of Naples early on Thursday, damaging buildings and causing locals to flee into the streets. The earthquake occurred at 1:25 a.m. (0025 GMT) with its epicentre near the coastal town of Pozzuoli,

Many people in and around the Italian city spend the night on the streets and in their cars, fearing aftershocks.

ROME : A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck the area around Naples overnight, causing one light injury and some structural damage, and triggering panic among several residents, Italian officials said today. The main quake was recorded at 1.25am at a depth of 2.5km, according to the national institute of geophysics and volcanology (INGV).

Pictures have shown the damage caused by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake which struck Naples early on Thursday, among the strongest in the area in recent history. The quake sent 11 people to the hospital, the most serious of whom suffered concussion after part of a ceiling collapsed on them, officials said.