Rome earthquake: Strong quake rocks Italy - latest updates

The Italian capital was hit by the quake moments ago, with the tremor striking the region at 14km (8.6miles). Terrified resident and holiday-makers alike took to social media to share their concerns. One Italian said: “felt strong, lasted several seconds. People in the street panicked.”

Another added the quake sounded like a “small roar”.

A third said he earthquake was like a “wave motion, felt with a few seconds duration”.

Another commenter said: “Shock felt clearly, a few seconds but of obvious strength.”

Rome is located in the centre of Italy to the west.

Although quakes in Italy are less common than regions such as Indonesia, affect by the so-called Ring of Fire, Italy’s last tremor was in 2017.

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the country in Visso.

Another social media user spoke on Twitter of feeling “very frightened”.

They said: I live near here, I feel and I am crying ... I am very frightened #terremoto.”

The quake comes after claims Rome’s stunning colosseum has developed cracks in recent years due to more earthquakes in the Italian region.

Francesco Prosperetti, special superintendent for the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, said each time the ground shakes, the 2,000-year-old arena suffers.

He explained: “With the earthquake the cracks are increasing.”

The Foreign Office has issued a warning on earthquakes recently.

The website reads: “Due to Mount Etna’s recent volcanic eruption, a series of earthquakes and earth tremors are affecting the Catania area and the eastern part of the island of Sicily.

“Since August 2018 there have also been a number of localised earthquakes in the Molise region of Italy, near the town of Montecilfone.”