Earthquake in Molise felt as far away as Caserta; panic but no damage

There is concern in Molise, particularly in the Upper Volturno Valley and throughout the province of Isernia, following a 4.1-magnitude earthquake recorded shortly after midnight by the INGV, with its epicentre in Pizzone, in the Abruzzo National Park, Lazio and Molise, which was also felt in Abruzzo, in Lanciano and Chieti, in Campania as far as Caserta, and in Lazio.

The earthquake frightened the approximately 300 residents of Pizzone, many of whom – partly due to the aftershocks measuring less than 3.0 on the Richter scale – decided to spend the night in their cars. No one was injured, however; only in Cerro al Volturno was there a report of falling rubble in the historic centre, as the President of the Molise Region, Francesco Roberti, stated: “The survey of the area around the epicentre has been completed without identifying any significant problems or situations requiring assistance for the local population.”

The governor thanked the Vice-President of the Council, Antonio Tajani, for the support he had shown for Molise. “I would also like to thank the Minister for Civil Protection, Nello Musumeci, and the Head of the Civil Protection Department, Fabio Ciciliano, who contacted me from the very early hours to assess the situation and express the full support of the Government and the Department.” The thoughts of the older residents of Pizzone, said the mayor, Vincenzo Di Cristofano, turned to the 1984 earthquake that struck the area, with its epicentre in nearby San Donato Val di Comino, in the province of Frosinone. “Many families were evacuated,” recalled the mayor, “and a tent city was set up. A great many homes were damaged and, in the aftermath of the earthquake, underwent specific work to make them safe.”

The Molise Civil Protection Agency has begun continuous monitoring of the area. ANAS has announced that no damage has been detected on the road network and that traffic is flowing normally. Inspections have also been carried out on the Castel San Vincenzo dam. The checks revealed no structural damage. However, the earthquake has refocused attention on the ‘Pizzone II’ hydroelectric power station project proposed by Enel, against which the ‘No Pizzone II’ Coordination Group was formed. The group has taken this opportunity to issue a statement highlighting, amongst other concerns, the seismic and hydrogeological risks, the impact on the Park and the habitat of the Marsican brown bear, possible alterations to the lake basins, the loss of woodland areas and the environmental impacts resulting from the construction work.

“Last night’s earthquake brings home to us the fragility and delicacy of this area. The Coordination Group reiterates its call to the relevant local authorities and bodies to assess all the critical issues surrounding the project with the utmost rigour and to apply the precautionary principle in protecting an area of extraordinary environmental, landscape and natural value. In the Coordination Group’s view, the critical issues already highlighted confirm that the project is not compatible with the characteristics and fragility of the area in which it is intended to be located.”