Earthquake in Italy: how big was tremor, map - has anyone been injured?

The Italian coast was rocked by a large-scale earthquake off the coast of Rimini which was felt in several major cities including Rome and Bologna. The tremor also shook a number of other European nations such as Vatican City, Croatia, San Marino and Bosnia Herzegovina.

But how big was the tremor and has anyone been injured?

Here is everything you need to know.

How big was the earthquake in Italy?

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded which was felt across northern and central Italy and some parts of the Balkans.

Seismologists claim that around 350 earthquakes of this size take place every year. A 5.5 to 6 magnitude earthquake typically causes slight damage to buildings and other structures around it.

According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre(EMSC) the earthquake was at a depth of around 10 km

When did the earthquake take place?

The earthquake shook the Italian coast on Wednesday 9 November at 7:07am local time (6:07 GMT). It was then followed by two smaller tremors of 3.1 and 3.4 magnitude a few minutes later.

What happened in Italy following the earthquake?

Emergency services were called to attend the scenes of several buildings that have reportedly shown cracks in a range of Italian cities, with many members of the public running into the street.

The tremors were felt throughout northern and central Italy, and were mainly felt in areas such as Bologna, Rome and Rimini. A number of videos were shared by residents on social media and there was footage of food and drink being thrown to the ground in supermarkets as a result of the tremor.

Several schools were shut in parts of Italy in the central Marche region and trains were cancelled on several lines including between Ancona and the Italian capital, Rome.

Were there any injuries?

The Vigil del Fuoco, Italy’s fire and rescue service, wrote on their Twitter page: “At the moment no requests for help or reports of damage have been received in the operation room of the #vigildelfuoco command.”

Fire services are carrying out checks for several buildings that have been damaged as a result of the earthquake.

There are currently no reports of any fatalities or injuries.

Central Italy is one of Europe’s most active earthquake regions. In 2016, the area was struck by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake which resulted in 299 deaths. Many of the deaths were reported from the mountain village of Amatrice.

What is the most dangerous type of earthquake?

Magnitude scales are used to measure the intensity of an earthquake and there are many different categories that an earthquake can fall into. Here are some of the examples:

• 2.5 magnitude  - Usually not felt but can be recorded by seismograph. Millions are estimated to take place each year.

• 2.5 to 5.4 magnitude - Usually felt but will only cause minor damage. Around 500,000 take place each year.

• 5.5 to 6 magnitude - Can cause slight damage to buildings and nearby structures. These are estimated to take place 350 times a year.

• 6.1 to 6.9 magnitude - Usually causes a lot of damage - particularly in a highly populated area. These can occur around 100 times a year.

• 7.0 to 7.9 magnitude - These are classed as a major earthquake and are capable of causing serious damage. Estimated to take place around 10-15 times each year.

• 8 or above magnitude - Great earthquake which is capable of causing wide scale damage and can totally destroy communities within close proximity of the epicentre. These are estimated to take place once every year or two.