Buildings damaged as overnight quake hits Naples in southern Italy

ROME (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 hit near the southern Italian city of Naples early on Thursday, damaging buildings and causing locals to flee into the streets.

The earthquake occurred at 1:25 a.m. (0025 GMT) with its epicentre near the coastal town of Pozzuoli, located west of Naples, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).

The temblor, of the same magnitude as one that occurred last May, was the strongest since the early 1980s, when a long string of seismic events sowed damage and panic in the same area.

Although small earthquakes are frequent in the densely populated area situated close to the Campi Flegrei super volcano, locals confirmed that this was one of the most severe in recent years.

"I was sleeping, and suddenly I heard a terrible bang, I had never heard one so loud," said Raffaele Cipollano.

"It was a very bad moment. Then of course when I got up I turned on the lights and saw that my house is full of cracks, there are cracks everywhere," he added.

Emergency teams rescued one person from the rubble of a partially collapsed house, authorities confirmed. Several minor aftershocks were felt in the region, intensifying concerns among residents.

Some people forced open a gate at a former NATO base in Bagnoli in order to seek refuge.

Power outages were reported in parts of Naples, and many families chose to remain outdoors or in their vehicles overnight, fearing further tremors.

Earthquakes are fairly frequent in Italy.

In the region comprising Naples, the most serious in recent times was one of magnitude 6.9 that occurred in November 1980 in the Irpinia area, killing some 2,734 people, injuring more than 8,800 and destroying more than 300 municipalities.

(Writing by Keith Weir, editing by Alvise Armellini)