Quake shakes Italian Alpine area
An earthquake rattled the Italian Alpine region near the ski resort town of Courmayeur today.
The national civil defence office said initial checks indicated there were no injuries or damage from the quake, which struck at 1.27pm local time (12.27pm Irish time).
The tremor had a preliminary magnitude of 4.1, said Andrea Tertulliani of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics in Rome. The epicentre was at a depth of about 21,000 feet under the Pennine Alps in the Swiss-French border area, the institute said.
A quake of magnitude four to five can cause moderate damage in populated areas.
The ANSA news agency, reporting from Aosta in north-west Italy, said some people on lower floors of buildings reported hearing a creaking sound which lasted a few seconds.
“I heard a rumble and then two jolts that lasted a few seconds,” said Giorgio Gialdrone, owner of a Courmayeur restaurant. “I was on the second floor so I felt it more,” said Gialdrone. “It was quite a vibration, but nothing was damaged.”
