State of emergency declared in nine areas of Sicily hit by volcano-triggered quake

The Italian government declared the state of emergency in nine areas of Sicily hit by an earthquake triggered by the eruption of Mount Etna earlier this week.

The state of emergency would last 12 months, the cabinet said after gathering late on Friday.

10 million euros (11.4 million U.S. dollars) were allocated to nine municipalities in the eastern province of Catania mostly affected by the event, and would be used for first assistance, according to a statement.

28 people were overall injured in the quake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale, which struck at 3:19 a.m. local time on Wednesday after the Etna volcano erupted.

It occurred at a depth of about one kilometer, and its epicenter was located a few kilometres north of Catania, Sicily's second largest city, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said.

Overall, 28 people were injured by falling debris, and 10 of them -- mostly elders -- were brought to hospital, but none were in serious condition, according to health authorities.

In the immediate aftermath, some 600 people were evacuated for precautionary.

After visiting the affected areas on Thursday, Vice Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told local media about 400 of them would remain in need of accommodation, Ansa news agency reported.

The Mount Etna, which is 3,350 meters high above the sea level, is one of the most active on the Earth, according to INGV.