A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck near the coast of Italian beach resort Fano on Wednesday, shaking several cities, including Rome.
The quake occurred at a depth of 7 kilometres, about 28km north-east of the town, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.
It was followed by two tremors of 3.1 and 3.4 magnitude at around 7am local time.
The quake caused no serious damage or injuries, according to initial reports. But cracks have reportedly been seen in buildings.
“No injuries at the moment,” a spokesman for Italy's Civil Protection told Reuters, as the agency tweeted that checks on the ground were continuing.
The main quake was reportedly felt across northern Italy in Bologna, Romagna and Rome, as well as other countries including Croatia and San Marino.
“Shaking was felt over 300km by approximately 16 million people in Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Vatican,” tweeted EMSC.
EMSC warned further aftershocks may occur in the following hours and days.
“Unless it is necessary, stay away from damaged areas for your safety. Be careful and follow national authorities' information,” it tweeted.
As a precaution, schools in Pesaro and other nearby cities were closed, and rail traffic passing through Pesaro along the Adriatic coast was suspended.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said she was “in constant contact” with Civil Protection authorities and the head of the Marche region to follow developments.
— This is a developing story.
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• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
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The biog
From: Ras Al Khaimah
Age: 50
Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years
Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'
Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'
Explained
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Key developments in maritime dispute
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
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2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
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