An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 hit near the southern Italian city of Naples early on Thursday, damaging buildings and causing locals to flee into the streets. The earthquake occurred at 1:25 a.m. (0025 GMT) with its epicentre near the coastal town of Pozzuoli,

Seismologists said the tremor struck overnight on Thursday and was felt in several parts of the Campania region.

Pictures have shown the damage caused by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake which struck Naples early on Thursday, among the strongest in the area in recent history. The quake sent 11 people to the hospital, the most serious of whom suffered concussion after part of a ceiling collapsed on them, officials said.