Naples hit by strongest earthquake in 40 years

Widespread disruption has hit the city

The tremor caused people to rush into the streets as well as major delays to local trains and metro services.

Some reports have said there have been some power outages across the city.

The largest quake was followed by three other smaller tremors below a magnitude of two.

The epicentre was located near Bacoli, approximately 10 miles west of Naples and at a depth of about three miles.

Italian news agency ANSA described the earthquake as the most violent in the last 40 years.

Luigi Manzoni, mayor of the nearby town of Pozzuoli, said: "The earthquake we warned of was strong, but at the moment there are no reports of damage. The epicenter was in Bacoli but we are facing a situation to monitor hour after hour. Our volunteers are already out in town checking the situation closely."

No damage or injuries have been reported.

This volcanic region of Italy is known to be particular prone to earthquakes due its position near the meeting point of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates.

The city was hit by a similar size quake back in March, when another earthquake reached 4.4 in magnitude.