Strong Earthquake Rattles Central Italy

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8-5.0 on the Richter Scale jolted Central Italy Friday afternoon causing no reported injuries or damage.

Italian civil protection officials said the epicenter of the tremor was near the Tuscan town of Lucca. It was felt throughout the neighboring Emilia Romagna region and parts of Lombardy, international media reported.

"People reporting the shaking of the earthquake as far as Milan.(170 km) Due to the probable shalow depth we expect at least minor damage in the epicenter region", said the Earthquake Report. People near Torino and Lake Gara also felt this earthquake.

Emilia-Romagna was hit by a similar earthquake nearly 1 year ago, which damaged some houses and churches. In May 2012, two devastating quakes killed 24 people in the northern part of this region.