At least 247 people were killed when a powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake followed by dozens of small aftershocks hit central Italy, officials say. Several cities and towns have seen severe damage or been reduced to rubble, officials said.
25 August 2016
Some 460 aftershocks have rattled central Italy since the major quake hit on Wednesday, local media report, citing emergency officials.
Italy’s Council of Ministers is due to meet at 18:00 local time to declare a state of emergency for the affected areas, La Repubblica newspaper reported.
Rescuers continue to search for survivors in central Italian towns devastated by the earthquake as the death toll rose to 247, the Civil Protection Department said.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported that another earthquake, this one of 4.6 magnitude, hit central Italy some 66 kilometers northeast of the town of Terni, which has a population of over 220,000 people. It was the 22nd quake to shake the region in less than 24 hours.
At least 86 of the deaths occurred in the small towns of Amatrice and Accumoli, which are located near the quake’s epicenter, about 100 kilometers from Rome.
“Unfortunately, 90 percent of those we pull out are dead, but some make it, that’s why we are here,” Christian Bianchetti, a volunteer in Amatrice, told AP.
While visiting the most heavily stricken area, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called on his fellow citizens to unite in the face of the tragedy.
“We Italians are very good at arguing and being polemical, but now let’s stand in solidarity and pride alongside those who are rescuing others,” Renzi was cited as saying.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II joined the choir of European leaders in a message of sympathy sent to President Matarella.
“Prince Philip and I were saddened to hear of the loss of life following the earthquake in central Italy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Italy, especially the family and friends of those affected,” the message read.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the scope of devastation “shocking” and offered “the deep sympathy of the German people” in a message to Renzi.
US President Barack Obama expressed his condolences in a phone conversion with his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella, and applauded the “quick action” of Italy’s rescue services in providing disaster relief.
24 August 2016
Pope Francis has sent a small group of Vatican firefighters to Italy to assist local rescuers and canceled his weekly audience to conduct a prayer service dedicated to the victims of the calamity.
The Pope said: “I cannot fail to express my heartfelt sorrow and spiritual closeness to all those present in the zones affected.”
The death toll from the quake has climbed to 159 people, according to data from the Italian Civil Protection Agency. Local authorities said they will continue to search for bodies under the rubble overnight into Thursday.
The mayor of Arquata del Tronto, Alberto Basso, confirmed that 17 people were killed and 55 injured, 20 of them seriously, La Repubblica reported.
The death toll from the earthquake has risen to 73, an official from the Civil Protection Department said.
A young man named Claudio told La Repubblica that he lost his parents and a girlfriend in the quake, explaining that his dog had survived in the rubble by miracle and was his only family member left. “At least my dog is saved,” he said.
One of the victims was 18-month-old Marisol Permarini, who died while asleep at her home in Arquata del Tronto, local media reported.
ANSA news agency, citing a source, reported that at least 63 people have been killed in the quake. The agency added that 35 of those who died were in the town of Amatrice.
A new aftershock has been recorded 4.9km from the Visso commune, the USGS reported, adding that the depth of the shock was also shallow – 10km.
The aftershock also took place 38km from the towns of Ascoli Piceno and 63.3 km from L'Aquila, which have already been affected by the disaster.
Some 50 people have been killed and hundreds injured in the earthquake, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported. Many people remain under the rubble, the paper added.
One witness told AP that scenes of the disaster were “like Dante's Inferno.”
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
A disturbing video has been released online showing a person trapped under the rubble in the village of Capodaqua in Perugia province.
“There are still so many people under masonry, so many missing,” Immacolata Postiglione, the head of Italy’s civil protection department, said.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has promised to visit the disaster-affected areas.
“No one will be left alone; no family, no village. This is a moment for action,” he said, “In difficult moments, Italy knows how to act.”
Italian authorities have vowed to allocate some €234 million for the disaster relief effort.
“The fund for national emergencies has made €234 million available, which will be used to meet immediate needs,” a statement from Paola De Micheli, undersecretary for Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, said.
Many children fell victim to the quake, Italian media said. One child reportedly died in Ascoli Piceno, a town in Marche region. A two-year old girl was killed in the town of Amatrice, which was the hardest hit by the quake. There were also reports of the death of an eight-month-old baby that was found under the rubble of the house in Arquata del Tronto.
The death toll from the earthquake in central Italy has jumped to 38, a spokeswoman from the Civil Defense department said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent condolences to Italian authorities. “Russia shares the pain of the Italian people and expresses its willingness to provide the necessary assistance to liquidate the consequences of the disaster,” Putin said in a letter.
According to Il Fatto Quotidiano, the total death toll from the quake in central Italy has risen to 24.
Officials have confirmed to AFP that 18 people were killed in the earthquake.
“Three quarters of the town is not there anymore,” Amatrice Mayor Sergio Pirozzi told Italian media. “The aim now is to save as many lives as possible. There are voices under the rubble, we have to save the people there.”
A girl has been pulled from the rubble alive in the town of Amatrice, La Repubblica newspaper reported.
During a mass, Pope Francis called for prayers for the people affected by the earthquake, while thanking the volunteers and emergency services that are currently helping the victims.
“Hearing the mayor of Amatrice say that the town no longer exists and hearing that there are children among the victims, I am deeply saddened,” the pontiff said.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has cancelled a meeting with French President Francois Hollande that was scheduled for Thursday, Italian media reported.
Some 100 people have been reported missing in the village of Pescara del Tronto, which was the hardest hit by the quake, Italian media reported.
At least three helicopters and six ambulances have been deployed in the Lazio region, La Repubblica reported.
The death toll from the quake has risen to 21, Italian Sky TG 24 reported.
The Italian army has been mobilized to aid earthquake-affected areas, the Italian Defense Ministry wrote on Twitter.
Dramatic videos have emerged showing the grim aftermath of a devastating 6.2 magnitude earthquake that has reportedly left at least 14 people dead in central Italy. Local residents are seen sitting in despair and total shock in the rubble.
At least two bodies have been recovered from the rubble in the village of Amatrice in the Lazio region.
“Three quarters of the town is not there anymore,” Amatrice mayor Sergio Pirozzi said, as cited by RAI TV. “The aim now is to save as many lives as possible. There are voices under the rubble; we have to save the people there,” he stressed.
Several small towns and villages were seriously damaged by the quake. The worst affected towns are believed to be Accumoli, Amatrice, Posta, and Arquata del Tronto.
“Four people are under the rubble, but they are not showing any sign of life. Two parents and two children,” Accumoli Mayor Stefano Petrucci said, adding that “Now that daylight has come, we see that the situation is even more dreadful than we feared with buildings collapsed, people trapped under the rubble and no sound of life,” as cited by RAI television.
The head of the national Civil Protection department, Fabrizio Curcio, compared the earthquake to the L’Aquila quake that hit central Italy’s Abruzzo region in 2009, in which more than 300 people were killed and thousands left homeless.
The death toll has risen to 14, La Repubblica newspaper reported.