At least ten people have been reportedly injured in an earthquake that hit Sicily only a day after the iconic Mount Etna erupted from a new fissure, covering the Italian island with volcanic ash.
A tremor was felt all across Catania on Wednesday morning. The 4.8-magnitude earthquake had damaged numerous buildings, injuring at least ten people, La Republicca reports.
Many of the residents are said to have temporarily left their homes fearing they could collapse.
Photos of the damage inflicted by the quake flooded social media. People told of shaking buildings and shattered glass in Catania, a city of 300,000 residents.
The Wednesday earthquake comes just a day after Mount Etna erupted from a fresh fissure, sending plumes of smoke into the air. Nearby villages found themselves covered by volcanic ash, and people on the mountainside were evacuated.
The eruption also led to the sporadic closure of Catania airport. By Tuesday morning, air traffic was shut down altogether, with Sicily registering around 200 small to medium sized tremors.
Sicilians are being asked to avoid the crater and surrounding areas. Authorities are also worried about the possible damage volcanic ash could have on agricultural crops growing on the island.
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