Tsunami alert issued after a swarm of nearly 3 dozen earthquakes rattle the Tyrrhenian Sea

PALERMO, Italy — Palermo, the capital of Sicily, and other cities in southern Italy were rocked by a series of earthquakes in the Tyrrhenian Sea on Friday, including a magnitude 5.7 quake, according to USGS. 

Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology has recorded nearly three dozen earthquakes, most of them weaker, in the same area of the southern Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily.

A magnitude 4.9 quake struck just before noon local time Friday, followed by the magnitude 5.7 quake around 12:20 p.m, according to the USGS.

The epicenters of both quakes were about 6 miles below the surface.

A magnitude 5.2 quake struck just before 4 p.m. about 30 miles west-northwest of Malfa.

The Palermo government said the mayor is expected to sign an order ordering the evacuation of some public buildings and people were urged to stay out of the water and avoid boating.

The city government of Bagheria said first responders are conducting building inspections and local schools were evacuated. Italy’s national tsunami warning system issued tsunami alerts for coastal areas around Bagheria, the city said in a statement.

Check back for updates on this developing story.