An earthquake hit Italy's southern island of Ischia on Monday, causing at least one victim.

The temblor struck at 8:57 p.m. local time, carrying a magnitude of 3.6 on the Richter scale, the Italian National Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (INGV) said.

The quake destroyed several buildings and at least one church. One woman died after being hit by debris in the collapse of a building, Ansa news agency reported.

At least seven people were missing and believed to be trapped under rubble, Italian TV La 7 cited the vice-mayor in the municipality of Casamicciola Terme as reporting.

And another 25 people were wounded, according to the police.

Some crews from the Civil Protection Agency were already on the island to tackle fires. Other relief teams were being dispatched from Naples, the Fire Department stated on Twitter.

Ischia lies in the Gulf of Naples.