ROME, Nov. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- An earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale hit northern Italy overnight, causing panic and injuring at least nine people, Italian media reported on Thursday.     

    The quake, followed by two smaller aftershocks, struck just before midnight (2300 GMT) and lasted some 30 seconds.

    The main tremor was felt right across the north from the northwest Valle D'Aosta and Liguria regions to Venice on the northeast Adriatic coast.

    The epicenter was in the province of Brescia east of Milan and some eight kilometers below the earth's surface, the reports said.

    The quake triggered panic among inhabitants and at least nine people suffered minor injures.

    The head of the Italian national Civil Protection Department, Guido Bertolaso, said that although the quake was the strongest ever to hit Brescia the situation was under control.

    He stressed that "this was not a dramatic event," adding that Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was being kept informed of developments. "It is a quake-risk area and we knew earthquakes could happen there," he said.

    Bertolaso warned of the risk of more aftershocks. "There will be aftershocks and some of them could be quite strong," he said.

    Another smaller quake rocked Italy's Adriatic regions Thursday morning. The quake measured 4.8 on the Richter scale and was recorded some 130 kilometers off the Italian coast.

    The tremor shook the regions of Abruzzo, the Marche, Molise andPuglia. No damage or injuries were reported.

    The last major earthquake to hit Italy happened in October 2002.It measured 5.4 on the Richter scale and affected the southern half of the country where a school collapsed in the village of Molise, Puglia, killing 26 children and a teacher. Enditem