A 4.3 magnitude earthquake has struck in the sea off Italy's Sicily, sending residents into the streets but with no immediate reports of victims or injuries, officials said.
The epicentre of the quake that struck on Friday morning (local time) was about 30km off the coast of Sicily, north of the capital Palermo, and about 15km under sea level, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
Crowds of people rushed onto the streets as the tremors from the quake were felt in Palermo and other towns of the island off Italy's southern tip known for seismologic activity.
Schools and offices closed immediately after the quake.
On January 27, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck northern Italy, with tremors felt in Genoa, Turin, Bologna, Milan and as far away as the city of Strasbourg and the island of Corsica. It did not cause victims and only slight damage.
