Earthquake hits central Italy

[Toni Bunz]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7984867.stm



At least 50 people have been killed in a powerful earthquake that struck central Italy, Italian officials say.

Five children are said to be among the dead and many remain unaccounted for as a massive search for those trapped is under way.

The 6.3-magnitude quake struck at 0330 (0130 GMT) close to L'Aquila city, 95km (60 miles) north-east of Rome.

A civil protection official said 3,000 to 10,000 buildings in the medieval city may have been damaged.

And as many as 50,000 people are feared to have been made homeless.


See map of the earthquake-hit area

The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in L'Aquila described bemused and confused locals wrapped in blankets and carrying their personal belongings in suitcases walking, like a stream of refugees, through the devastation.

At the moment, the situation is not fully under control, our correspondent says.

The rescue service is stretched to breaking point as it tries to reach all the devastated buildings and deal with the mounting casualty toll, he adds.

State of emergency

Earlier, the mayor of L'Aquila, Massimo Cialente, said some 100,000 people had left their homes.


Latest from Duncan Kennedy, L'Aquila



Here in the centre of the city, building after building has been left destroyed or half standing with cracks and holes.


We watched as rescue workers struggled to pull out survivors, crawling on their stomachs to try to reach those trapped inside.


There is a stream of almost ghostly figures, local people caught up in the early hours this morning in this earthquake, who are pouring past us wearing blankets.


They are pulling suitcases and luggage past this collapsed building trying to get to safety. People are wandering around in a dazed state.



A university dormitory, churches and a bell tower are believed to be among the buildings that had collapsed.

Many residents and rescuers used their bare hands to clear the debris from collapsed buildings, although the army and civil protection units from around Italy are joining the effort.

Survivors, some still in their night clothes, hugged each other as they waited for news of friends and relatives.

Hundreds waited at the city's main hospital, where doctors were forced to treat people in the open air because only one operating room was functioning.

Francesco Rocca of the Italian Red Cross said two field hospitals were arriving from Rome, but warned of the difficulties ahead.

"The biggest problem will arrive in the night because there are thousands and thousands of people that we have to host in tents, in the hotels," he told the BBC.

The death toll has been rising steadily throughout the morning. Interior Minister Roberto Maroni told reporters in L'Aquila that 50 people had now died.

Deaths were reported in the surrounding towns and villages of Castelnuovo, Poggio Picenze, Tormintarte, Fossa, Totani and Villa Sant'Angelo.

FROM THE BBC WORLD SERVICE


More from BBC World Service

But it is feared the toll could rise further as rescuers try to reach the many outlying villages and homes in the quake zone.

Phone and power lines remain down, and some bridges and roads have been closed as a precaution as the region was hit by a series of aftershocks.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has declared a state of emergency, and has cancelled a visit to Moscow to travel to the quake-hit area.

Panic

The earthquake happened hours after a 4.6-magnitude tremor shook the area but caused no reported damage.

L'AQUILA


Medieval city, founded in the 13th Century
Capital of the mountainous Abruzzo region
Population 70,000, with many thousands more tourists and foreign students
Walled city with narrow streets, lined by Baroque and Renaissance buildings

Thousands of the city's 70,000 residents ran into the streets in panic following the 30 second tremor.

Survivors described finding themselves looking out onto open streets as the walls of their buildings fell away.

A student dormitory was said to be one of the buildings badly damaged. Rescuers were reportedly searching the rubble for people feared trapped inside.

"We managed to come down with other students but we had to sneak through a hole in the stairs as the whole floor came down," student Luigi Alfonsi, 22, said.

"I was in bed - it was like it would never end as I heard pieces of the building collapse around me."

MAJOR ITALIAN QUAKES
2002 - 30 die, including 27 pupils and their teacher, in the southern town of San Giuliano di Puglia
1997 - 13 die and priceless cultural heritage lost in the central Umbria region
1980 - Nearly 3,000 people die, some 9,000 injured and 30,000 displaced near Naples

Correspondents say that L'Aquila, capital of the mountainous Abruzzo region, has many old buildings not built to withstand a strong earthquake.

Even some modern structures on the outskirts of the city were reported to have collapsed.

The earthquake was also felt in Rome.

Italy lies on two fault lines and has been hit by powerful earthquakes in the past, mainly in the south of the country.

[Aspano]

awful - prayers for all those people

[Toni Bunz]

Do you have family near there? Luckily, my family is near Naples.

RIP to all of those who died. =(

[Aspano]

nah, almost all my fam is in Sicily, thank God ---- altho I do have a cousin who lives in Rome, and I shot him an email to make sure he's alright, but haven't gotten anything back ---- Glad to hear your family is ok as well

[Gspot555]

sad...hope there are no dangerous aftershocks

[Gspot555]

Italy: State of emergency declared following magnitude 6.3 earthquake in central region (Revised 13.50 GMT)

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on 6 April declared a state of national emergency after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the central region of the country at around 03.30 (local time), causing casualties and widespread structural damage. At least 90 people have been killed and many others injured; a number of foreigners is also reported to be missing. The tremor caused structural damage to thousands of buildings in L'Aquila city, the capital of L'Aquila province in the Abruzzo region; however, electricity infrastructure, oil refineries and companies located in the affected region have not been impacted by the earthquake. According to the authorities, at least 26 cities and towns have been seriously damaged by the earthquake. Rescue and relief operations are under way.

Comment and Analysis

Aftershocks are possible and old buildings are particularly vulnerable in the event of further tremors. Personnel are at risk from falling debris both within buildings and on streets during additional earthquakes. Roads may also be blocked by debris and relief efforts, which could cause travel disruption. Essential supplies could be affected in the coming days, given the intensity of the earthquake.

Italy is located in a seismic zone and is therefore prone to earthquakes, which occur most frequently in the central and southern regions. However, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake in November 2004 hit the northern region of Lombardy, injuring four people, damaging buildings and disrupting power supplies. The earthquake was felt in Milan, Venice and Genoa. The southern town of San Giuliano di Puglia in 2002 was struck by a moderate earthquake; 30 children were killed when a school collapsed in the town.

The epicentre of the 6 April earthquake was located approximately 60 miles (95km) north-east of the capital Rome at a depth of 6.2 miles (10km).

Travel Advice

* Personnel are advised to avoid the affected area wherever possible.
* Beware of falling debris in the event of aftershocks, which could cause further damage to structures and pose a risk to life and property.
* Anticipate travel delays in the earthquake-affected region.

[ShiFty]

just read this, at least 70 dead....and the number may rise?? I had a 5.something here in cali last year, the epicenter was actually my neighborhood but it wasnt nearly this bad....there was a 4.something a few days ago which actually woke me up...crazy they say ever 1 point of an earthquake is 10 times stronger .... i gotta call mom dukes make sure no relatives live on central Italy..

[Defekted]

very sad guys.... hope everyone's extended family over there is safe.

[Gspot555]

Italy: Aftershocks reported following 6.3-magnitude earthquake in central region; state of emergency remains in place

Aftershocks were reported in the town of San Benedetto in the central region early on 7 April following the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the area at around 03.30 (local time) on the previous day, causing casualties and widespread structural damage. The epicentre of the 6 April earthquake was located approximately 60 miles (95km) north-east of the capital Rome at a depth of 6.2 miles (10km). Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on 6 April declared a state of national emergency. At least 150 people have been killed, about 1,500 others injured and nearly 50,000 left homeless; several foreigners are also reported missing. The death toll is likely to rise further as rescuers continue searching for casualties in the debris.

The initial tremor caused structural damage to thousands of buildings in the city of L'Aquila, the capital of L'Aquila province in the Abruzzo region; however, electricity infrastructure, oil refineries and companies operating in the affected region have not been impacted. According to the authorities, at least 26 cities and towns were affected by the recent seismic activity. Rescue and relief operations are under way.

Comment and Analysis

More aftershocks are possible and old buildings are particularly vulnerable to structural damage or collapse in the event of further tremors. Personnel are at risk from falling debris both within buildings and on streets during additional earthquakes. Roads may also be blocked by debris and relief efforts, which could cause travel disruption. Essential supplies could be affected in the coming days, given the intensity of the earthquake and the extent of damage that the region has sustained.

Italy is located in a seismic zone and is therefore prone to earthquakes, which occur most frequently in the central and southern regions. However, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake in November 2004 hit the northern region of Lombardy, injuring four people, damaging buildings and disrupting power supplies. The earthquake was felt in Milan, Venice and Genoa. The southern town of San Giuliano di Puglia in 2002 was struck by a moderate earthquake; 30 children were killed when a school collapsed in the town.

Travel Advice

* Personnel are advised to avoid the affected area wherever possible.
* Beware of falling debris in the event of aftershocks, which could cause further damage to structures and pose a risk to life and property.
* Anticipate travel delays in the earthquake-affected region.

[drumaboy]

my sister lives in Rome, west of the epicenter, and although she felt the shocks and furniture was tossed around, there were no structural damages or injuries