After the eruption of Vesuvius, the survivors of Pompeii suffered a second deadly natural disaster.

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Just under 2,000 years ago, Mount Vesuvius, a massive volcano in southern Italy, erupted. It caused one of the most famous natural disasters in history: the destruction of the city of Pompeii. The inhabitants of the ancient Roman town, located a few kilometers from the volcano, did not have time to flee and found themselves engulfed in lava.

The volcanic eruption saved very few people. But according to a recent study, Published in Frontiers in Earth SciencesThese survivors were then killed by “second nature force”, ScienceFocus says.

The ruins of Pompeii are infamous because some of its inhabitants were frozen in time. After the eruption, ash and rock particles rained down on the city for more than eighteen hours, forming a protective crust around the bodies. Recently, while excavations at the site are still ongoing, two new skeletons were found, not buried under the ash, but on top of it.

Even the survivors didn't stand a chance.

Italian experts from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology at the Pompeii Archaeological Park think they know what caused it: a massive earthquake. The researchers who discovered the skeletons were excavating a house at the site when they noticed something strange. “All signs of a volcanic event – especially signs usually found during excavations near Vesuvius – were absent.”refers to the media.

The bodies were men around 50 years old, and had suffered fractures and severe trauma. None of them appeared to have died from ash inhalation or extreme heat. They appeared to have been crushed by the sudden collapse of a large wall. Experts believe that the residents who survived the eruption tried to flee, but were struck by strong earthquakes. Further research is needed to fully determine what happened on August 24, 79.