Two Earthquakes Shake Central Italy

Reports indicate that two powerful earthquakes shook central Italy on Wednesday evening. According to Reuters, these two earthquakes occurred two hours apart and caused damage to buildings and infrastructure. The United States Geological Survey reported that the first earthquake had a magnitude of 5.4, while the second earthquake reached a magnitude of 6.0. Three hours after the earthquakes, officials announced that only one person was injured in these two quakes. Reuters reports indicate that the destruction caused by these two earthquakes was not as severe as the earthquake on August 24, which devastated some mountainous areas in Amatrice. The August earthquake had a magnitude of 6.2 and resulted in nearly 300 deaths. However, the earthquakes on Wednesday caused panic, prompting people to flee to the streets. The tremors were also felt in Naples, 250 kilometers from the epicenter. Reports indicate that the epicenter of the earthquakes was in the town of Castastastanglo in the Marche region. According to these reports, a 15th-century church building in San Salvatore in the Umbria region was destroyed. This church had previously been damaged in the August earthquake.