A family on holiday in southern Italy have recounted the harrowing moments they feared for their lives after a devastating earthquake tore through the town of Pozzuoli, forcing them to escape their rented villa as walls fractured and rubble tumbled around them.
Eimear Murphy, 46, who lives in Ireland, her husband David, their three children Jack, 13, and 10-year-old twins Kate and Conor, had travelled to the Italian town near Naples for a week-long family getaway with Eimear’s sister Roisin Purcell, her partner Shane Kendrick, their children Molly, Paddy, Hannah and Darragh, and Eimear’s parents Marian and Tom O’Farrell.
The party of 15 touched down on Tuesday, July 28, and had been relishing their stay at an Airbnb villa complete with swimming pool in Pozzuoli, a tranquil seaside town roughly 20 minutes from Naples.
Yet merely days into their visit, the family found themselves engulfed in the terror and mayhem of an earthquake that struck at approximately 7.45pm on Friday evening.
The formidable earthquake hammered the Naples region, prompting locals to rush into the streets as structures trembled throughout the Campi Flegrei volcanic zone, reports the Irish Mirror.
View 5 ImagesCracked walls in the villa caused by the earthquake
The 4.7-magnitude quake, amongst the most severe in the area for four decades, was concentrated in Pozzuoli.
The instant the earthquake hit was absolutely terrifying, with the earth violently convulsing and a wave of panic sweeping through the neighbourhood. By Saturday, streets lay strewn with rubble and masonry ripped from building frontages, while widespread power failures left numerous neighbourhoods shrouded in darkness.
Local emergency services confirmed at least four people have been injured, with tremors reverberating throughout Naples, Pozzuoli and neighbouring communities.
Eimear recalled being in the shower on Friday evening when, at approximately 7.45pm, she suddenly felt the earth begin to shift beneath her feet. Two of the youngsters were indoors at the villa engrossed in their iPads, while the remainder of the family relaxed outside on the veranda.
“I felt the ground moving and although the earthquake was only six seconds, it felt much longer,” she explained to the Irish Mirror.
“I really thought the house was collapsing and I shouted to the boys to get out. My husband was outside shouting at us to get out too.
“We all ran out of the villa and stood around in shock in the garden until around 2am.”
View 5 ImagesCracks and fallen debris outside the villa
She described how terror immediately gripped them all, fearing the structure wouldn’t survive the violent shaking. “There was pure panic and I really thought the villa was going to collapse on us and I thought we were going to die.
“It’s the first time any of us experienced an earthquake and it’s traumatising,” she added.
The quake also inflicted cuts and gashes across Eimear’s arms, while her daughter sustained a knee injury from a tumbling brick.
Despite avoiding serious harm, the family’s villa bore significant damage, with fractures emerging across walls and staircases. Eimear explained that rubble needed removing while their clothing became caked in grime.
“The walls are all cracked, the stairs are cracked, we cleaned up the debris but our clothes are destroyed with dust,” she said. “We are afraid the whole building is going to fall down.”
With aftershocks persisting throughout the evening, the family had little choice but to remain in the villa, though rest proved virtually impossible.
“We had to sleep in the villa last night but none of us really slept. The kids are upset and didn’t sleep a wink and we are all traumatised by it.”
View 5 ImagesThe earthquake left the walls cracked
While Eimear expressed relief that nobody was seriously hurt, the ongoing tremors and prevailing uncertainty have intensified their longing to get back home.
“Today there are aftershocks and the ground is still shaking but we are all safe and that’s the main thing.”
The family now await confirmation on whether they can stay put after the property owner commissioned a structural engineer to assess the building’s safety.
They’re simultaneously attempting to secure earlier return flights, though local disruption has left them stranded in uncertainty.
“We can’t get flights out of here and all the shops and supermarkets are closed and the ports are closed too”.
View 5 ImagesEimear Murphy (middle) with her children and extended family members in Italy
“We are living off Tayto crisps which we brought with us from home and bread rolls and water for now,” Eimear said.
She painted a picture of unease across Pozzuoli, where locals remain anxious about potential further incidents. She continued: “The town is very eerie today, everyone is freaked out and we are all apprehensive and just want to be home.
“There’s a lot of panic around the town today, police cars are flying around the place with sirens on.”
Eimear revealed the family are doing their best to remain composed for the sake of the children while awaiting further guidance.
“We are all trying to stay calm for the sake of the kids but we just want to get out as we are nervous.”
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She painted a stark picture of what was supposed to be a relaxing break turning into a terrifying nightmare.
“It’s a holiday that turned to hell and we just wish we were home now.”
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