Earthquake in Italy was felt in several nations.

 

 

Central Italy and parts of the Balkans have been affected by a 5.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the Italian vacation town of Rimini.

On the Adriatic coast, houses shook for several seconds. There were reports of minor damage but no casualties.

Due to potential track damage, some schools were closed in the central Marche region, and trains were stopped all around the city of Ancona.

According to Italian officials, the earthquake was 8 km (5 mi) deep.

It was felt across the Adriatic in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as in Bologna in the northeast and Rome in the west.

Following the first, largest tremor at 07:07 (06:07 GMT), several weaker shocks occurred.

Fallen masonry was seen in the centre of Ancona and at the station, and residents rushed into the streets in panic. Italian reports said trains were suspended on several lines including between Ancona and the capital, Rome.

A resident in Fano, a coastal town between Rimini and Ancona, told Ansa news agency that the streetlights began swaying like twigs: “Everything was shaking violently, a dreadful feeling, and people poured into the street.”

According to report, Local Fano TV presenter Massimo Foghetti was doing a press review when the studio began to shake.

Despite the widespread alarm, the fire brigade said it had not received any rescue requests.

Central Italy is one of Europe’s most active earthquake regions. A 6.2-magnitude earthquake in 2016 killed 299 people, most of them in the picturesque mountain village of Amatrice.