Some 400 people prefered to spend last night in shelters after an earthquake struck the central Italian region of Umbria, the Ansa news agency reported.

The 4.2 magnitude earthquake felt in the Umbrian capital Perugia caused no casualties or damage, Italy's geophysics institute said.

"The main problem now is to calm people who are naturally frightened, fearing an aftershock," said Vincenzo Riommi, a regional civil protection official.

He said some 400 people had decided to spend the night in publicly provided shelters, adding that elderly people had been admitted to area hospitals and hospices.

The quake's epicentre was some nine kilometres under the Tiber valley near the ancient Umbrian capital, according to the website of the INGV institute.

On April 6, a devastating earthquake hit the town of L'Aquila in the nearby Abruzzo region, killing nearly 300 people.

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