BOLOGNA, Italy – A magnitude 5.8 earthquake shook northern Italy on Tuesday and authorities were investigating reports of possible victims. The United States Geological Survey said the quake, which struck at 9:00 a.m. local time, was centered 25 miles northwest of Bologna.
It hit the same region where a stronger temblor earlier this month killed seven people and caused some buildings to collapse. The mayor of San Felice told Sky News 24 that there were fatalities in his town. Mayor Alberto Silvestri provided no details, saying he was heading from the industrial zone to the center for further information.
Television footage on Sky News 24 showed evacuees from the previous quake peering out of shaking tents in disbelief. Schools and stores throughout the area were briefly evacuated as a precaution. The quake was felt from Piedmont in northwestern Italy to Venice in the northeast. Train lines connecting Bologna with other northern cities were stopped while authorities checked for any damage. Seven people were killed when a magnitude 6.0 quake struck the same region in the early morning of May 20. Four of the victims were working overnight shifts in factories that collapsed; the other three died of heart conditions or other illnesses brought on by fear.
