A sequence of quakes off Sicily

A series of earthquakes struck the southern Tyrrhenian Sea on Friday, 23 October, northwest of the Aeolian Islands near Alicudi. According to INGV data, the sequence began with a magnitude 3.3 tremor at 11:04, followed by a 4.3 at 11:51 and a 3.6 at 11:56. The strongest quake, measured at magnitude 5.0, struck at 12:19, and two smaller tremors followed, a 3.2 at 12:41 and a 2.9 at 13:08. Greek-language outlets reported a range of 4.3 to 5.7 for the same swarm, a higher upper figure than the 5.0 given in INGV-based coverage.

Tsunami alert and precautionary evacuations

An orange-level tsunami alert was issued after the swarm, and Salvo Cocina, head of Sicily's civil protection, ordered an immediate state of alert for the municipalities concerned. In Palermo, several schools and municipal offices, including the Polo tecnico, were evacuated as a precaution. Mayor Roberto Lagalla said he was about to sign an ordinance covering some public structures, and that the list of affected buildings would be released once the necessary assessments were complete. At the time of the reports, the ordinance had not yet been signed. The mayor explained the step in these terms:

“The possible evacuation of some public buildings is an exclusively precautionary choice, driven by the need to act promptly and prudently.”

No damage or injuries reported

The municipal and regional civil protection, the fire service and the municipal police had reported no damage to people or property, according to a note from the mayor's office. Piero Alongi, Palermo's municipal assessor for civil protection, told Adnkronos that no damage or injuries had been recorded. The fire service said the calls it received were requests for information rather than emergency calls. The tremors were felt from Palermo to Catania and on the Aeolian Islands, and social media users reported them as far away as Messina, Acireale, Catanzaro and Reggio Calabria, where they were fainter. According to 20 Minuten, people ran into the streets in several places. Lagalla urged residents, especially those on the coast, not to go out to sea and to follow the instructions of the authorities.

Aftershocks and open questions

According to 20 Minuten, the INGV recorded further tremors after the strongest quake. Authorities said they were continuing to monitor the situation closely. The list of evacuated buildings had not been published in the reports reviewed. The sources disagree on the upper magnitude, with 5.0 in INGV-based coverage and 5.7 in Greek-language reports, and this summary uses the INGV figure. None of the sources linked the tremors to any damage.