Italian media revealed on Monday that a researcher had warned authorities about the imminence of a major earthquake, but was ignored, according to the Romanian correspondent to Italy, Miruna Cajvaneanu. Giampaolo Giuliani, a researcher at nuclear physics institute INFN, had said he identified a type of gas, Radon, which is released by Earth crust before an earthquake.

A Romanian researcher at INFN, Catalina Curceanu, said she knew Giampaolo Giuliani well and that he is a serious person involved for many years in studying the possibility of forecasting earthquakes. She said he licensed an invention of his, measuring Radon releases, while his theories are not demonstrated scientifically.

Giuliani has monitored the frequency and intensify of such gas releases for two years. He had warned that in the Abruzzo region a major earthquake was due to take place on March 29. The mayor of a local town submitted a complaint against Giuliani, accusing him of alerting the population for no reason, while a local authority took public stand against people spreading false news.