Thousands flee but no fatalities as 2 more big quakes rattle Italy
Print Edition
ITALY was counting the cost yesterday after more major earthquakes forced thousands to flee their homes in terror but “miraculously” did not cause any fatalities.
Two months after a quake left nearly 300 dead in the country’s tremor-prone central spine, two powerful shocks ripped through the mountainous, sparsely-populated region on Wednesday evening.
Despite numerous building collapses, no deaths were reported after the 5.5 and 6.1 magnitude tremors.
“Given the strength of the shocks, the absence of any deaths or serious injuries, which we hope will be confirmed, is miraculous,” Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said.
The national civil protection agency described the damage as “very significant” but said it was not aware of anyone trapped under rubble.
Rescue workers began a major clean-up operation and hundreds of families were unsure where they would be living for the foreseeable future.
More than 100 aftershocks rattled the area through the night after the initial two were felt in Rome, some 175 kilometers away from the epicenters.
Marco Rinaldi, mayor of the village of Ussita, described “apocalyptic” scenes. “People were in the streets screaming. Many houses have collapsed. Our town is finished,” he said.
“I’ve felt a lot of earthquakes but that was the strongest I’ve ever felt. Fortunately everyone had already left their homes after the first quake so I don’t think anyone was hurt.”
One 70-year-old man was reported to have died of a heart attack in nearby Tolentino but that may have been coincidental.
Even in Rome, some people took to the streets as a precautionary measure, underlining lingering jitters after the summer disaster.
Wednesday’s tremors struck an area just to the north of Amatrice, the mountain town which was partially razed by the August quake and suffered the bulk of the fatalities.
Across the region, hospitals, a university residence, a retirement home and even a prison had to be evacuated.
The civil protection agency is planning to reopen tent camps set up after the August earthquake but they will only provide a temporary solution as winter approaches.
Many mountain villages in the area are located at more than 600 meters altitude and overnight temperatures will soon be falling below freezing.
Italy’s national geophysics institute said the latest quakes were linked to the August one, which was followed by thousands of aftershocks.
Pensioner Massimo Testa could not return to what remains of the 15th Century house he and his wife had lovingly renovated.
“We only just had enough time to get out after the second shock before the house collapsed,” he said, with tears in his eyes. “My wife was petrified, she could see masonry falling around her. Thank God we are still alive, that is the most important thing.”
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