Macerata: Two moderate earthquakes, measuring 4 and 4.4 in magnitude, shook central Italy on Friday. There were no initial reports of casualties or damage.

The quakes with epicentres between Perugia and Macerata in the Marche region were followed by two weaker tremors.

The quakes struck at 4.47am and 5.10 am. Tremors of 3.1 and 3.8 magnitude whose epicentres were also in the province of Macerata were registered at 5.12 and 6.40 am.

They were the largest of a series of 25 tremors that rattled the area through the night.

Italy’s mountainous spine has experienced near-constant seismic activity since the magnitude 6.2 quake of August 24 last year, which killed 300 people, flattening several mountainside towns.

Two powerful quakes of magnitude 5.4 and 5.9 with epicentres in the province of Macerata rocked central Italy 27 October last year, causing further damage to dwellings, medieval churches and monuments, but no casualties.

Four strong quakes measuring between 4.1 and 5.7 magnitude struck snowbound central Italy on January 18, most likely triggering a major avalanche the same day in Abruzzo’s national park that killed 29 people at a ski-hotel.

An estimated 40,000 people have been forced to find shelter after the string of earthquakes left their homes uninhabitable.

The Italian government has earmarked billions of euros to reconstruct the area.