Powerful Italian quake kills many

Ilumine · 2009-04-06T10:00:23+00:00

At least 27 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 at least 30 people remain unaccounted for as a massive search for the 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. "This means that we'll have several thousand people to assist over the next few weeks and months," Agostino Miozzo told Sky Italia. "Our goal is to give shelter to all by tonight." .......... A university dormitory, churches and a bell tower are believed to be among the buildings that had collapsed. Residents and rescuers were using their bare hands to clear the debris from collapsed buildings. There were calls for quiet as they listened for signs of life amid the rubble. Survivors, some still in their night clothes, hugged each other as they waited for news of friends and relatives. Hundreds waited for treatment at the city's main hospital, where doctors were forced to treat people in the open air because only one operating room was functioning, Italian news agency Ansa reports. The death toll has been rising steadily throughout the morning. The latest from Ansa is that 27 people are now dead. But with many villages in the surrounding area still cut off by landslides, it is thought the full scale of the disaster will not become clear for many hours. 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 Story from BBC NEWS: BBC NEWS | Europe | Powerful Italian quake kills many

Thread starter Ilumine
Start date Apr 6, 2009

Ilumine

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Powerful Italian quake kills many

Ilumine

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