Magnitude 4.4 earthquake strikes off Sicily; no damage reported

An earthquake of magnitude of 4.4 briefly shook the Italian Mediterranean island of Sicily on Friday.
The quake, the epicentre of which was registered off the port city of Catania, was clearly felt in the area at the foot of the volcano Etna at shortly after 2 pm (1200 GMT).
According to the Italian Civil Protection Department, no damage or injuries were initially reported.
Italy is a tectonically very active region, and earthquakes occur frequently.
These can also have more severe consequences, such as the 2009 and 2016 quakes in central Italy, which each killed around 300 people.