The earthquake off Sicily prompted evacuations and a tsunami alert, which was lifted after approximately one hour

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Sicily on Friday, approximately 63 kilometers from Leni, in the Aeolian archipelago, at a depth of about nine kilometers. The quake was felt in Palermo, Trapani, Messina and Catania, as well as in Calabria, in Reggio Calabria and Catanzaro.

The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology revised the magnitude from 5.0 to 5.5. In Palermo, many people took to the streets, while approximately 300 students and teachers were evacuated from a high school. A school in Partanna Mondello and the courthouse in Trapani were also evacuated.

The national tsunami warning system issued an orange alert for coastal areas, but it was lifted after approximately one hour. INGV said that no changes in sea level had been recorded and that no tsunami had occurred. The mayor of Palermo announced that there were no casualties and urged people to avoid going out to sea.

On the island of Filicudi, a rock wall collapsed, while landslides were reported on Alicudi and Lipari without significant damage. The earthquake is part of a sequence that began on the night of October 20. Before the main quake, tremors of up to 4.3 were reported, and less than six minutes afterward, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake occurred.