(see related)
Inspections following the earthquakes
that started late on Monday in the area of the Campi Flegrei
volcanic caldera near Naples led to 39 families being evacuated
from their homes in 13 buildings in Pozzuoli on Tuesday.
Furthermore, Campania Prisons Superintendent Lucia Castellano
has announced that 140 inmates in Pozzuoli's women's prison will
all be evacuated too as a precautionary measure.
The prison was among the buildings in the area to suffer damage,
with cracks appearing in some and chunks of masonry falling
away, and the female prisoners will be temporarily held at other
jails in the region.
The authorities set up a reception area at sports centre in the
Monterusciello district of Pozzuoli, where 80 spooked people
slept overnight, while many others spent the night in their
cars.
Nevertheless, many local residents complained about the chaos
that followed the seismic activity, which has featured some 160
quakes since Monday evening, including a 4.4 magnitude one that
was the strongest to hit the area over 40 years.
"I don't know what would have happened if it had happened
during the day and the schools were open," said one resident.
"The panic is likely to cause more damage than the earthquake".
Schools will be closed on Tuesday in Pozzuoli and other towns in
the area on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.
The Campi Flegrei area, also known the Phlegrean Fields in
English, is currently affected by bradyseism, or ground uplift,
and the seismic activity in the volcanic zone has led to fears
of harm to people and property.
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