Residents of Naples and its surrounding areas abandoned their homes and camped out in parks and cars after a 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck near the Italian city early Thursday morning, rattling nerves after weeks of intense seismic activity.

The quake was the strongest in recorded history around the Phlegrean Fields, a sprawling area of ancient volcanoes that encompasses a large part of the Naples metropolitan area.

Naples rocked by one of the worst earthquakes in 40 years with residents forced to sleep on streets - Residents fled the 4.4 magnitude tremor after a ‘huge roar’ was heard in the Italian city