The magnitude-4.7 quake, injuries and damage are confirmed, but this swarm contained 189 earthquakes; 94 was the total from a separate April reporting week.
Italian scientists count 189 quakes near Naples
The swarm struck Campi Flegrei, an active volcanic basin beneath crowded Pozzuoli and western Naples.
Who's involved
INGV and its Vesuvius Observatory
Italy's scientific authority for monitoring earthquakes, ground movement and volcanic gases at Campi Flegrei
goal → decide whether the swarm was part of the continuing ground unrest or showed a meaningful change in the volcano
Italian Civil Protection Department
the national agency coordinating emergency work with regional and local authorities
goal → protect residents, provide shelter, inspect damage and restore essential services
Municipality of Pozzuoli and Mayor Luigi Manzoni
the local government responsible for the area closest to the earthquake and its worst damage
goal → help displaced families, inspect buildings and reopen roads, rail links and the port safely
Nello Musumeci
Italy's minister responsible for civil protection and maritime policy
goal → coordinate national aid, funding and public warnings while reducing the danger from future shocks
Residents of Pozzuoli and western Naples
the people living above and around the active Campi Flegrei volcanic basin
goal → secure safe housing, reliable information and repairs to homes and essential services
In short
The 189-quake swarm near Naples injured 26 people, forced about 350 from their homes and showed how much damage Campi Flegrei's shallow earthquakes can cause. No deaths were reported, and scientists found no sign that an eruption was approaching.
Building checks, repairs and temporary housing are likely to continue. Another strong earthquake is possible, but its timing and size cannot be predicted.
Further serious shaking remains uncertain. Scientists say the volcanic risk would change only if several measures, including ground movement, gas emissions and magma depth, shifted together. They had not.
How it unfolded
Strong shallow earthquake starts the swarm
The sequence began at 19:46:43 CEST. The earliest official account found was the Vesuvius Observatory's 20:25 CEST bulletin, which reported the magnitude-4.7 earthquake and ten preliminary tremors. Reuters published the first international report found at 21:22 CEST. More than a day later, an X post cited 94 earthquakes, but that was INGV's total for April 6-12, when the strongest earthquake was magnitude 3.4.
Damage becomes clear overnight
The first bulletin described a strong sequence that was still growing. Within hours, shallow shaking and falling rock had damaged homes and infrastructure, while repeated tremors kept residents outside. Civil Protection opened reception centres and raised the injury count as hospitals and emergency teams confirmed more cases.
Hundreds leave unsafe homes
Two more tremors of magnitude 3 or higher struck near dawn. Daylight inspections found unsafe homes, damaged slopes and broken transport links, shifting the response from immediate rescue to deciding who could return safely. INGV's count rose quickly because it included many small earthquakes that residents may not have felt.
Scientists find no new eruption signal
The strongest earthquake of the current unrest increased fears about the volcano beneath the area. INGV said the tremor showed that continuing ground deformation could release substantial energy, but one earthquake could not show that the volcanic system had changed. Scientists compared it with ground uplift, gas emissions, magma depth and other readings and found no broader shift.
Swarm ends as displacement rises
The earthquakes subsided, but the human cost grew as engineers inspected more homes. Some transport links reopened after safety checks and the government promised more support. Damage to the Cumana railway, rock slopes, water network and housing still kept hundreds of people from returning to normal life.
Where things stand
As of early August 3, the Vesuvius Observatory had declared the July 31-August 1 swarm over at a preliminary total of 189 located earthquakes. The confirmed toll was 26 injured and 144 families displaced, or about 350 people. No deaths were found in the official statements and major reports reviewed. Building inspections, temporary housing and repairs to homes, rail lines, roads, slopes and utilities were still under way.
The magnitude-4.7 earthquake is not evidence that an eruption is near or that the volcano has entered a new state. The main unresolved dangers are damage from this and future shallow earthquakes, how long residents will remain displaced and whether continuing ground uplift will produce another strong shock.
Authorities have asked residents to report cracks and other damage, avoid unnecessary travel in affected areas, respect closures and rely on INGV, Civil Protection and municipal statements rather than alarming social-media claims. Scientists will judge the risk from ground movement, earthquakes, gas emissions and other measurements together, not from one tremor or one online count.