Mild quake shakes Rome

A mild earthquake shook Rome early Monday but there were no immediate reports of damage, emergency services said. Firefighters said they had received numerous inquiries from people after the tremor struck shortly after 5:00 am (0300 GMT), estimated at 3.3 magnitude by the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology.

Rome is not directly situated in a zone of strong seismic activity, but stronger earthquakes in the neighbouring Abruzzi region have often been felt in the Italian capital.

On April 6, 2009, a quake hit the medieval town of L'Aquila and the surrounding region, killing more than 300 people.