The quake was the strongest in recorded history around the Phlegrean Fields, a sprawling area of ancient volcanoes that encompasses a large part of the Naples metropolitan area.

Many people in and around the Italian city spend the night on the streets and in their cars, fearing aftershocks.

An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 hit near the southern Italian city of Naples early on Thursday, damaging buildings and causing locals to flee into the streets. The earthquake occurred at 1:25 a.m. (0025 GMT) with its epicentre near the coastal town of Pozzuoli,