An inter-ministerial summit to evaluate possible interventions in the Campi Flegrei area. Tomorrow afternoon at Palazzo Chigi, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will open a window on these last 24 hours of great tension experienced by the citizens who live in the Campi Flegrei and by the Neapolitans of the neighborhoods close to the area of seismic interest. It will be the last in a series of institutional meetings that marked today, the hottest after the 4.4 magnitude earthquake which occurred at 8.10pm yesterday and with its epicenter in the Campi Flegrei. A very strong shock, the strongest in the last 40 years. In Pozzuoli, rubble fell and cracks opened in the buildings. Thirty-six families were evicted as a precaution. The women’s prison in Pozzuoli has been evacuated, again as a precaution: the inmates have been transferred. The Undersecretary of State at MIT Tullio Ferrante explained that “in-depth checks relating to the infrastructure and transport system” are underway. Ferrante added that “inspections are underway at state buildings, including the penal institute for minors in Nisida and the women’s prison in Pozzuoli”. Also in Pozzuoli, but also in Quarto, checks are underway in schools of all levels.
TO Naples the investigations only involved the schools in the IX and X Municipalities (i.e. the districts of Bagnoli, Fuorigrotta, Pianura and Soccavo), which remained closed today but will reopen tomorrow. In particular, the Municipality’s attention was focused on the Madonna Assunta school which is right next to the hottest area: “Not even the books fell to the ground”, observed the councilor with responsibility for the Civil Protection of the Municipality of NaplesEdoardo Cosenza, in the press point held in the council room of the Municipality of Naples. The councilor himself illustrated the seismic risk map drawn up for decree 140 on the Campi Flegrei, explaining that the most critical area is the yellow one, and “it is the area where there is greater bradyseism”. “This area – explained Cosenza – contains Pozzuoli and a small piece of Bagnoli-Agnano”. All around there is a blue zone: “It is an area of seismic interest in which vulnerability analyzes of the buildings are being carried out”, said Cosenza. “Outside this area, the Government and the High Risk Commission do not believe that bradyseism events can have significant effects on buildings – explained the councilor -. It is obvious that the vibrations can also be felt far away. From this area it is outside the Mostra d’Oltemare, the San Paolo hospital, it is outside Viale Augusto, it is outside the Stadium, it is outside Posillipo. In the area there are only the area of the X municipality and small pieces of the IX Municipality”. Therefore, this is Cosenza’s conclusion: “Fear yes, because it is understandable but seismic actions are not”.
The mayor of Naples Gaetano Manfredi instead cleared the field of another great concern of the population: “At the moment there is no eruptive risk because it has not been reported by any of the INGV indicators. Let’s pray – he said making the gesture of the horns -, we are a thousand years away from the eruption. As for the bradyseismic phenomenon, Manfredi highlighted that “the seismic crisis is within the expected data: therefore it is not an anomalous shock, it is unfortunately the one we expect. A magnitude 4.4 is one of the highest within this crisis but it is possible.” Then he underlined that “we are in a phase that can continue for months” and therefore invited citizens not to “panic”. For the mayor, correct information is therefore crucial: «The most difficult thing is to be able to inform citizens, because citizens must know everything but at the same time we must avoid fake news: last night I heard about explosions of gas, landslides, obviously false things – said Manfredi -. We have to say everything but we have to say the true things. We must avoid speculation from people who want to harm us.” The prefect also spoke about the need for correct and informed information Naples Michele Di Bari who held two press points, one in the morning and one in the afternoon: “Fear and panic must be far from this phenomenon – he said -. We must also work a lot on behavioral education, because the closer the information reaches the citizen, the more rational the behaviors are. Furthermore, correct information is the essential prerequisite so that in the event of an emergency, fear and panic are increasingly weakened”.
