earthquake strikes central italy + emergency contact info – UPDATE

Thanks for letting us know, and posting the videos. I watched them and it’s devastating. Now, the reports are saying that it was a 6.3 magnitude quake, which is quite a bit worse than 5.8 on the richter scale. Our best wishes and prayers go out to Italians in L’Aquila. When you watch the videos you do get a sense of the horrific event, and the terror. The man who was crying in the rescuers arms was heartbreaking.

It looks horrible – my prayers go out to the families and survivors. We have family in Italy, but they are further south.

Hopefully some info will come out soon re: relief organizations and the best place to donate to help. I plan to do so.

I’m stunned.

I didn’t know til I logged on to NQ. I just called my cousin to see if his mom was alright. My family is from right over the mountain. He said she’s OK but afraid to go to sleep tonight. She felt the tremor, but did not sustain major damage, only a big crack in the house.

(Understand, their homes are solid masonry, not stick built.)

L’Aquila is a lovely little town, I spent time there and made a friend. I hope she is well, she and husband have two little girls. I haven’t spoken with her in some time and today I am hoping that she and her family had relocated in the time we lost touch.

This is horrible.

FROM:

telegraph.co.uk

Italian earthquake: expert’s warnings were dismissed as scaremongering

By Nick Squires In L’Aquila
April 6, 2009

An Italian scientist, Gioacchino Giuliani, predicted the earthquake which has killed at least 90 people in the Abruzzo region but he was reported to the police for scaremongering, it has emerged.

Mr Giuliani told locals to evacuate their houses and posted a video on YouTube in which he said a build-up of radon gas around the seismically active area suggested a major earthquake was imminent.

Several tremors had been felt in the medieval city of L’Aquila, around 60 miles east of Rome, from mid-January onwards, and vans with loudspeakers had driven around the city spreading the warning.

But instead of heeding Mr Guiliani’s warnings, the local authorities reported him to police for “spreading alarm” and he was told to remove his findings from the internet.

The predicted earthquake hit L’Aquila at 3.32am local time today, killing at least 90 people and leaving up to 50,000 homeless.

Rescuers are desperately searching through the rubble for trapped survivors of the 6.3 magnitude tremor, which destroyed countless buildings in L’Aquila and neighbouring villages.

Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, has declared a state of emergency.

In the village of Onna, around five miles from L’Aquila, at least 12 people were killed out of a total population of 300, with police anticipating a rising death toll as the search of ruined buildings continued.

A makeshift open-air morgue was set up in the shade of a tree in a field beside the village, with 10 bodies laid out on wooden pallets until undertakers could get coffins to the scene.

Father Mauro Orru, the local priest in Onna, told the Telegraph: “The heavens fell in. It was like the end of the world. I ran into the street in my pyjamas; everything in the house was crashing down – books, crockery, everything was on the floor and the furniture was moving.”

Latest estimates suggest between 10,000 and 15,000 buildings have been destroyed or damaged beyond repair in the region.

But the local authorities are already facing serious questions over why they gagged Mr Guiliani rather than taking his findings seriously.

Italy’s Civil Protection agency held a meeting of the Major Risks Committee, grouping scientists charged with assessing such risks, in L’Aquila on March 31 to reassure the townspeople.

“The tremors being felt by the population are part of a typical sequence … (which is) absolutely normal in a seismic area like the one around L’Aquila,” the civil protection agency said in a statement on the eve of that meeting.

“It is useful to underline that it is not in any way possible to predict an earthquake,” it said, adding that the agency saw no reason for alarm but was nonetheless effecting “continuous monitoring and attention”.

Even after the devastating earthquake, the head of Italy’s National Geophysics Institute, Enzo Boschi, dismissed Mr Giuliani’s predictions.

“Every time there is an earthquake there are people who claim to have predicted it,” he said. “As far as I know nobody predicted this earthquake with precision. It is not possible to predict earthquakes.”

Mr Boschi said the real problem for Italy was a long-standing failure to take proper precautions despite a history of tragic quakes.

“We have earthquakes but then we forget and do nothing. It’s not in our culture to take precautions or build in an appropriate way in areas where there could be strong earthquakes,” he said.

Earlier, Massimo Cialente, mayor of L’Aquila, said around 100,000 people had left their homes as a result of the damage, and Italian media reported that up to 50,000 people have been made homeless.

He said: “The situation is terrible, really terrible. Many of my fellow citizens are weeping and I, too, have shed a tear.”

The death toll from the ‘quake rose steadily during the morning as emergency services scrambled to pull many people trapped under thousands of collapsed homes and apartment blocks.

Deaths were reported in L’Aquila and in the outlying towns and villages of Fossa, Castelnuovo, Poggio Picenze and Tormintarte. At least eight people are missing in nearby San Demetrio dei Vestini.

Most of the damage centred on L’Aquila where homes, churches and university buildings had been damaged. During the 30 second tremor, thousands of the city’s 70,000 residents ran on to the streets in panic.

Rescue workers were trying to rescue people from collapsed homes, including a student dormitory where a half a dozen students remained trapped inside, RAI state TV reported.

Television footage from the scene showed residents and rescue workers hauling away debris from collapsed buildings and bloodied residents waiting to be tended to in hospital hallways.

Please keep us up to date as much as you can. I left for Italy 12 months ago this very day and met a lot of family in Abruzzo. I am now back in Australia and we cannot get in touch with them as the phones just ring out. As from your report there is a lot of disruptions to the phone and electricity lines.

May God keep them all safe..

I am sending good wishes to your fellow citizens American Girl!
We will pray for efficient, rapid response and recovery teams!
I’m glad to know your family is not directly affected, and that you are able to inform us!
Those pictures show a great deal of damage.

this is true. they were talking about him last week, on the news. they wanted to arrest the guy. thanks for posting this, I wanted to look for the info, after my husband talked about him today.

Comment by Pennsylvania Red | 2009-04-06 09:16:06

I’m stunned.

I didn’t know til I logged on to NQ. I just called my cousin to see if his mom was alright. My family is from right over the mountain
—————————————————–

Where, PRed?

Abruzzo or LeMarche?

I am from Ascoli Piceno (Marche), right over the
‘mountain’….

Italy is still calling it a 5.8, the US is calling it a 6.3. I’m ot sure which one is correct. Either one is terrible! In Seattle, we barely even flinched at a 5.8.

Penne.

It’s on the “sea” side of the mountain.

IIRC L’Aquila is on the landlocked side, the side facing Rome. My family is on the side that faces the Adriatic.

These walls just seem to cruble in earthquakes. they seem so strong, but the damage they sustain is just awful. Glad your aunt is ok!

I am trying to get my friend on his mobile in Italy but I cant seem to get through. Does anyone know if the under sea cables were severed because of the quake?

I pray everyone at the site is safe….

Thanks, PRed

I know the area well, beautiful along the coast.

HERE IS THE LATEST FROM

‘IL MESSAGGERO’:

Fra le vittime 8 bimbi. Caos all’ospedale. Decine i dispersi
Il sisma alle 3.32 di magnitudo 5,8. Ancora scosse

ROMA (6 aprile) – Almeno 92 morti, dispersi e migliaia gli sfollati.
Si scava tra le macerie, anche a mani nude.
- Soccorsi e volontari da tutta Italia
- Chiuse l’autostrada Roma-L’Aquila e l’A25. Ferrovie operative
—————————————————-

Among the victims 8 children. Chaos at the hospital.
The earthquake at 3.32AM – Magnitude 5,8. more tremors.

Rome-6 april

At least 92 dead, lost and thousands homeless
Digging for survivors, even with bare hands.
Help and volunteers from throughout Italy.

Highway Rome-L’Aquila closed and A25.

Railway is usable

I just emailed you.

Mr Boschi said the real problem for Italy was a long-standing failure to take proper precautions despite a history of tragic quakes.

“We have earthquakes but then we forget and do nothing. It’s not in our culture to take precautions

That’s from the head of the country’s National Geophysics Institute.

When I visited family in Italy, I’d often hear them say Italians were their own worst enemy. Reading the quote of this asino, I can understand why they feel that way.

AGII,

Is this an earlier earthquake and did you feel it
where you are?

Corriere della Sera:

Scossa di terremoto nella zona di Forlì

Il sisma è stato avvertito in una vasta area, dalla Toscana al Veneto, al Friuli
Scossa di terremoto nella zona di Forlì

Alle 22.20.

L’ipocentro è stato molto profondo, a 28,2 km.

La Protezione civile non segnala danni a persone o cose

FORLì –

Domenica sera, alle 22.20, un terremoto di magnitudo 4,6 della scala Richter ha colpito la zona tra Forlì, Castrocaro Terme, Faenza e Forlimpopoli. L’ipocentro è stato molto profondo, a 28,2 km. Alle 22.48 è stata registrata una seconda scossa di magnitudo 2.3, con lo stesso epicentro.

NON CI SONO DANNI

- La Protezione civile non segnala danni a persone o cose. Il sisma è stato avvertito in una vasta area, dalla Toscana alle Marche (nel Pesarese, a Urbino e Ancona), dal Veneto al Friuli. Qui la scossa è stata percepita in particolare a Trieste, Muggia, Grado (Gorizia) e Lignano (Udine), oltre che ai piani alti di varie località lungo la costa friulana.

05 aprile 2009(ultima modifica: 06 aprile 2009)

Thank you….I managed to mail him, he is fine, his family is fine, and now, I am fine too…

Thank you so much for your offer to help, again, I really appreciate it. THANK YOU!

ALL:

I translated the article, but I took too long, I
guess. It would not post.

My apologies.

yes, that is a different one. And nope. I didn’t feel it. I haven’t felt any since moving to italy. We had a minor one, but I didn’t notice it. My husband did, but I was clueless. haha This one was a 4.6.

:OD Very happy to hear they are ok! Did they have any damage?

We are so, so sorry, Ameri Girl. I do hope that we send aid and personnel there, should they wish any help. I haven’t watched the news videos yet, but i would expect that other European nations are all rushing experienced workers and dogs to the area.

That’s great, AGII!

It’s my (uneducated) guess you are pretty safe
where you live. Insular Italy is full of
“extinct’ volcanoes.

Earthquakes are a terrifying experience. I’d
much rather have the ‘hurricane seasons’ here in Florida, where I have been for the last 20 years….

HERE IS THE LATEST FROM ANSA:

Quake: 1, 500 injured, premier says
Tents for 20, 000 people set up amid fears of further quakes

(ANSA)
- L’Aquila,
April 6

- Premier Silvio Berlusconi said Monday that around 1,500 people were injured in the L’Aquila earthquake that killed at least 92.

”At the moment 4,000 rescuers are at work and concentrating on extracting people from the rubble,” said Berlusconi, who cancelled a trip to Moscow to travel to L’Aquila where he surveyed the damage from a helicopter.

The premier said a camp with 2,000 tents, each capable of housing 8-10 people, was currently being set up in the city for those who had lost their homes in the disaster, while around 4,000 beds in hotels in the area had also been reserved for survivors.

”The camp should be ready be tonight,” Berlusconi told journalists at a press conference, during which another small quake was felt.

”The fundamental thing I want to say is that nobody will be left alone,” he said.

The premier appealed to survivors not to remain in damaged houses.

”Nobody can tell if there will be further quakes in the next few hours or days,” he said.

Such lovely coast, PRed!

I am well acquainted with it, as Ascoli is just
about 15km from the Adriatic.

Glad to know your family is OK. Mine too.

Thoughts and prayers to all the people of Italy. My husband and I were married there in 2006 and met many people we now call friends.

I hope there is something we can do (fundraisers etc.. maybe the red cross?).

I’ve sent messages to our friends but they are in Tuscany (near Greve) and I don’t believe from the reports they suffered any damage.

It’s so tragic and sad.

Thanks for sharing. Wow. Glad you are okay. Very sad to see my beloved Italy in such trouble. I had just actually decided to apply for dual citizenship and perhaps move to Italy, since I can’t tolerate Obma and Pelosi destroying my country any more. I’d rather have an big earthquake than those two. Guess it’s not such a great idea now to move. Sigh.

I live in CA and 5.8 is horrible even for us. I can only imagine what it’s like there. I wish I could be there to help. I will say my prayers for all and stay safe AGI.

Italian earthquake: more deadly tremors could follow, experts warn
More deadly earthquakes could follow the huge tremor which killed at least 92 people and injured 1,500 in central Italy, experts have warned.

By Gordon Rayner and agencies
Last Updated:
4:19PM BST 06 Apr 2009

The earthquake which hit the Abruzzo region at 3.32am happened on a faultline where tremors are common, meaning the 6.3 magnitude event may not be the last.

L’Aquila dogged by earthquakes through 800 year history Hundreds of survivors are still thought to be trapped under the rubble, and a desperate search and rescue mission is ongoing.

The Italian president, Silvio Berlusconi, has declared a state of emergency and thousands of hotel rooms in the area have been requisitioned to provide shelter for the those who have been displaced.

Mr Berlusconi has also called together the country’s leading seismologists to advise on whether more major shocks could follow.

John McCloskey, a professor of geophysics at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, said: “Earthquakes like this frequently trigger other earthquakes in the region. After the Umbria and Marche earthquakes in Italy in 1997 there was a sequence of eight events higher than magnitude five in the following two months.”

Roger Musson of the British Geological Survey (BGS) in Edinburgh said the Apennine mountains were a hotspot for large ‘quakes, and an event of this magnitude “is not really a surprise.”

In the last century, five big earthquakes on or around the spine of Italy have claimed around 34,000 lives. Monday’s event was the third major ‘quake in less than 12 years in a radius of just 90 miles.

Gianfranco Fini, speaker of Italy’s lower house of parliament, said: “Some towns in the area have been virtually destroyed in their entirety.”

Civil Protection Department officials said the damage extended to 26 cities and towns.

Angela Palumbo, 87, from L’Aquila, said: “I woke up hearing what sounded like a bomb. We managed to escape with things falling all around us. Everything was shaking, furniture falling. I don’t remember ever seeing anything like this in my life.”

Many buildings in the area date back to the Renaissance and stood no chance against the 20 to 30-second long tremor.

Part of a university halls of residence and a hotel were among the buildings which collapsed in L’Aquila.

Parts of L’Aquila’s main hospital were evacuated because they were at risk of collapse, and only two operating rooms were in use. Bloodied victims waited in hospital hallways or in the courtyard and many were being treated in the open. Emergency workers are setting up field hospitals in the area to compensate.

Evacuees have been converging on an athletics field on the outskirts of L’Aquila where a makeshift tent camp is being set up. Civil protection officials distributed bread and water to people who lay on the grass next to heaps of their belongings.

Civil protection official Agostino Miozzo said the aim was to give everyone shelter by nightfall.

“This means that the we’ll have several thousand people to assist over the next few weeks and months,” he told Sky Italia.

So glad you are safe and sound AGII.

And thanks for all the info on the earthquake. The video of the devastation is heartbreaking.

As relief efforts get more organized, maybe you can provide information for those of us outside of Italy who would like to make a donation.

They are excavating the student housing building right now, live. they are searching for 7 students that were trapped, and they just pulled out one body. :O(

The death toll, last i heard was around 130.

Angela Palumbo, 87, from L’Aquila, said: “I woke up hearing what sounded like a bomb.

Mrs. Palumbo is old enough to clearly remember WWII, she must have thought she was having some kind of flashback.

Sara -

Do they think the death toll will go up much beyond the 130? I am hoping not. So much heartache. Thanks for the update.

THE LATEST NEWS:

Strong quake in Italy kills over 150, wounds 1,500

April 6, 2009
Marta Falconi, Associated Press Writer
L’AQUILA, Italy

– Rescue workers using bare hands and buckets searched frantically for students believed buried in a wrecked dormitory after Italy’s deadliest quake in nearly three decades struck this medieval city before dawn Monday, killing more than 150 people, injuring 1,500 and leaving tens of thousands homeless. The 6.3-magnitude earthquake buckled both ancient and modern buildings in and around L’Aquila, snuggled in a valley surrounded by the snowcapped Apennines’ tallest peaks.

It also took a severe toll on the centuries-old castles and churches in the mountain stronghold dating from the Middle Ages, and the Culture Ministry drew up a list of landmarks that were damaged, including collapsed bell towers and cupolas.

The quake, centered near L’Aquila about 70 miles northeast of Rome, struck at 3:32 a.m. Monday, followed by a series of aftershocks that continued into Tuesday morning.

Firefighters with dogs and a crane worked feverishly to reach people trapped in fallen buildings, including a dormitory of the University of L’Aquila where a half- dozen students were believed trapped inside.

After nightfall Monday, rescuers found a scared-looking dog with a bleeding paw in the half-collapsed dorm. Relatives and friends of the missing stood wrapped in blankets or huddled under umbrellas in the rain as rescuers found pieces of furniture, photographs, wallets and diaries, but none of the missing.

The body of a male student was found during the daylight hours.

“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,” said Luigi Alfonsi, 22, his eyes filling with tears and his hands trembling. “I was in bed — it was like it would never end as I heard pieces of the building collapse around me.”

Another another body was pulled from the dormitory rubble early Tuesday morning, but no further details were immediately available.

Twice after midnight, rescuers were forced to briefly retreat from the scene when aftershocks dislodged more building rubble.

Elsewhere in town, firefighters reported pulling a 21-year-old woman and a 22-year-man from a pancaked five-story apartment building where many students had rented flats.

Amid aftershocks, survivors hugged one another, prayed quietly or tried to call relatives. Residents covered in dust pushed carts of clothes and blankets that they had thrown together before fleeing their homes.

Slabs of walls, twisted steel supports, furniture and wire fences were strewn in the streets, and gray dust was everywhere. A body lay on the sidewalk, covered by a white sheet.

Residents and rescue workers hauled debris from collapsed buildings by hand or in a bucket brigade. Firefighters pulled a woman covered in dust from her four-story home. Rescue crews demanded quiet as they listened for signs of life from inside.

RAI television showed rescue workers gingerly pulling a man clad only in his underwear from a crumbled building. He embraced one of his rescuers and sobbed loudly as others placed a jacket around his shoulders. Although shaken and covered in dust, the man was able to walk.

Some 10,000 to 15,000 buildings were either damaged or destroyed, officials said. L’Aquila Mayor Massimo Cialente said about 100,000 people were homeless. It was not clear if his estimate included surrounding towns.

Premier Silvio Berlusconi said in a TV interview that more than 150 people were killed and more than 1,500 were injured. He had already declared a state of emergency, freeing federal funds for the disaster, and canceled a trip to Russia.

The quake hit 26 towns and cities around L’Aquila. Castelnuovo, a hamlet of about 300 people southeast of L’Aquila, appeared hard hit with five confirmed dead. The town of Onno, population 250, was almost leveled.

Pope Benedict XVI prayed “for the victims, in particular for children,” and sent a condolence message to the archbishop of L’Aquila, the Vatican said. Condolences poured in from around the world, including from President Barack Obama.

Parts of L’Aquila’s main hospital were evacuated due to the risk of collapse, and only two operating rooms were in use. Bloodied victims waited in corridors or a courtyard, and many were being treated in the open. A field hospital was being set up.

The four-star, 133-room Hotel Duca degli Abruzzi in L’Aquila’s historic center was heavily damaged but still standing, said Ornella De Luca of the national civil protection agency in Rome.

Though not a major tourist destination like Rome, Venice or Florence, L’Aquila boasts ancient fortifications and tombs of saints.

Many Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance landmarks were damaged, including part of the red-and-white stone basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio. The church houses the tomb of its founder, Pope Celestine V — a 13th-century hermit and saint who was the only pontiff to resign from the post.

The bell tower of the 16th-century San Bernardino church and the cupola of the Baroque Sant’Agostino church also fell, the ministry said. Stones tumbled down from the city’s cathedral, which was rebuilt after a 1703 earthquake.

“The damage is more serious than we can imagine,” said Giuseppe Proietti, a Culture Ministry official. “The historic center of L’Aquila has been devastated.”

The city’s own cultural offices, housed in a 16th-century Spanish castle, were shut down by damage, Proietti said. The damaged fortifications, once perfectly preserved, are also home to a museum of archaeology and art.

L’Aquila, whose name means “The Eagle” in Italian, was built around 1240 by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and was under French, Spanish and papal domination during the centuries. The high-flying bird was both the emblem of Frederick and reflects the 2,300-foot altitude of the proud city.

Proietti said in a telephone interview that reports from the countryside showed many villages around L’Aquila had been heavily damaged, including churches “of great historical interest.”

Damage to monuments was reported as far as Rome, with minor cracks at the thermal baths built in the 3rd century by Emperor Caracalla, he said.

A makeshift tent city was set up on a sports field on the outskirts of L’Aquila. Civil protection officials distributed bread and water to evacuees.

“It’s a catastrophe and an immense shock,” said Renato Di Stefano, who moved his family to the camp. “It’s struck in the heart of the city. We will never forget the pain.”

It was Italy’s deadliest quake since Nov. 23, 1980, when one measuring 6.9-magnitude hit southern regions, leveling villages and killing 3,000.

Many modern structures have failed to hold up to the rigors of quakes along Italy’s mountainous spine or in coastal cities like Naples. Despite warnings by geologists and architects, some of these buildings have not been retrofitted for seismic safety.

“The collapses that occurred in Abruzzo involved houses that weren’t built to withstand a quake that wasn’t particularly violent,” said Enzo Boschi, president of the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology.

“We get all worked up after every earthquake, but it’s not in our culture to construct buildings the right way in a quake zone, that is, build buildings that can resist (quakes) and retrofit old ones. This has never been done,” Boschi said.

Meanwhile, Giampaolo Giuliani, a researcher for a physics lab in the nearby Gran Sasso, claimed in media interviews that he forecast the quake days earlier by measuring the amount of radon gas released by the earth, but was muzzled by officials.

Giuliani said Monday that he was placed under investigation by prosecutors for causing alarm after he sent warnings of a pending quake in the Sulmona area — 30 miles south of L’Aquilato.

Boschi, reiterating a firmly held scientific position, said quakes can’t be predicted. And he specifically dismissed the radon gas theory.

“The information was completely wrong, he forecast it for Sulmona,” Boschi told reporters. “Imagine if we had accepted such data and evacuated Sulmona, most of the evacuees would have been in L’Aquila today,” Boschi said.

The last major quake in central Italy was a 5.4-magnitude temblor that struck the south-central Molise region on Oct. 31, 2002, killing 28 people, including 27 children who died when their school collapsed.

___

Associated Press writers Ariel David and Frances D’Emilio in Rome contributed to this report.

Italy quake killed 207, 15 missing government says

April 7, 2009
Yahoo News
L’AQUILA,
Italy

– The death toll from Italy’s worst earthquake in three decades jumped to 207 on Tuesday as rescuers dug desperately through collapsed buildings looking for a dwindling number of missing.

A strong aftershock sent emergency workers scurrying from a partially collapsed university dormitory — a reminder of the continued danger in the quake zone.

Premier Silvio Berlusconi surveyed the devastated region by helicopter and said the rescue efforts would continue for two more days — after which any of the trapped would have little chance of survival.

He said 15 people were still missing.

“The rescue efforts will continue for another 48 hours from today until it is certain that there is no one else alive,” Berlusconi told reporters.

The magnitide-6.3 quake struck the central Italian city of L’Aquila and surrounding villages early Monday, leveling buildings and reducing entire blocks to a pile of rubble and dust.

Rescuers worked overnight inside the four-story dormitory and pulled two bodies from the rubble. They ran out, appearing confused, when the 4.9-magnitude aftershock hit at 11:26 a.m.

As many as four students could still be inside the dormitory, Berlusconi said.

Berlusconi said that at least 100 of the roughly 1,000 injured people were in serious condition. He said 190 of the victims had been identified.

Emergency workers were hunting for others pinned under rubble elsewhere in L’Aquila, a historic city of some 70,000 people.

There have been a series of aftershocks since the quake early Monday, which also left tens of thousands homeless. Tuesday’s aftershock appeared strongest in L’Aquila, a city of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architectural treasures in a valley surrounded by the snowcapped Apennine mountains.

Two buildings in Pettino, a suburb of L’Aquila, collapsed following the aftershock, the news agency ANSA reported, citing fire officials. No one was believed to be inside either building.

The ground shook in the nearly leveled town of Onna, about six miles (10 kilometers) away, but caused no panic.

While the elderly, children and pregnant women were given priority at tent cities in the area, others were sleeping in cars or making their own arrangements to stay with relatives or in second homes out of the quake zone.

Quake: Aftershocks cause panic
Plaster falls from buildings as smaller quakes continue

(ANSA) –
L’Aquila,
April 7

- Aftershocks on Tuesday continued to cause panic in the Abruzzo capital L’Aquila and neighbouring towns more than 32 hours after an earthquake that has left at least 179 dead.

Two strong quakes, one registering 4.7 on the MMS scale and lasting for around a minute, shook buildings at 11:27 Tuesday (09:27 GMT) and resulted in shaky plaster and cornices collapsing in L’Aquila.

The aftershocks caused panic among survivors who had spent the night in their cars outside their homes, many of whom fled away from the buildings fearing further collapse.

Seismologist Francesco Mele of the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV) said there had been around 280 aftershocks since the main quake struck at 03:33 local time (01:33 GMT) on Monday, registering 6.2 on the scale.

The most violent aftershock, of 4.8 magnitude, occurred at 01:15 Tuesday (23:15 GMT Monday).

Mele said the INGV was setting up six new monitoring stations a few kilometres from the fault line in the area, while four more would be installed later on Tuesday.

Quake: Italy getting wider
Expansion puts pressure on fault lines and causes tremors

(ANSA) –
Rome,
April 7 –

Monday’s earthquake in the central region of Abruzzo was in part due to the fact that Italy is getting wider, a French expert said on Tuesday.

”Italy is getting wider by one millimeter a year and this is putting pressure on fault lines along the Apennine mountain chain,” seismologist Pascal Bernard said in an interview published in the French daily Liberation.

Italy’s greatest ‘hope’, he said, was that along the mountain chain there was not one or two major fault lines but ”a series of faults of no longer than 15km each maximum which are in some way interconnected”.

Bernard explained he used the term ‘hope’ because ”the magnitude of a quake is directly linked with the length of a fault when it slips. When the faults are longer than 1000km and up to 1,000km their can provoke ‘titanic’ earthquakes”. Bernard is employed at the Institute du Physique du Globe in Paris.

MONITORING BOOSTED ALONG MAIN APENNINE FAULT LINE.

Italy’s National Geophysics and Vulcanology Institute (INGV) is boosting the number of monitoring devices it has along the Apennine fault line believed to have caused the Monday’s earthquake.

”Today we expect to install another dozen or so devices, in addition to the ones we put in yesterday, to better monitor the aftershocks in relation to their time and magnitude,” INGV seismologist Claudio Chiarabba said on Tuesday.

”We will continue to install them over the coming days until we have up to 40 in place. These stations will allow us to monitor the full length of the fault and get a detailed map of its evolution,” he added. The monitoring stations will remain in place for as long as the seismic activity continues, probably for a month to a month and a half, Chiarabbia said. According to the INGV expert, while it is not easy to define the ‘geometry’ of a fault, it is important to do so because its characteristics, when compared to data from other earthquakes, will be useful in the future when trying to predict quakes.

DONATIONS:

Corriere della Sera – Aprile 2009

An appeal on behalf of communities affected by the Abruzzo earthquake, was launched within hours of the disaster by the

Corriere della Sera, Corriere.it, the Gazzetta dello Sport, Gazzetta.it and City.

WHAT TO DO

– Anyone wishing to make a donation to help victims in the earthquake zone can do so by bank transfer or by credit card.

BANK TRANSFER:

Intesa-San Paolo, ABI 3069, CAB 05061, account number 1000/144, account name: “Un aiuto subito – Terremoto dell’Abruzzo”. IBAN: IT 03 B 03069 05061 100000000144

CREDIT CARD DONATIONS

(CartaSi, MasterCard, Visa, American Express) CartaSi Freephone: 800 317800 (from some mobiles, dial 12 followed by the number)

Calls from abroad:

+39 02 34980235.

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Though not a major tourist destination like Rome, Venice or Florence, L’Aquila boasts ancient fortifications and tombs of saints.

Many Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance landmarks were damaged, including part of the red-and-white stone basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio.

The fact that the town was not heavily touristed is what I found so charming. The beautiful architecture from the different periods was just icing on the cake. This is a tragedy on so many levels.

260 People Have Died In Italian Quake

April 8, 2009
Vanessa Gera,
Associated Press Writer
L’AQUILA, Italy

– Premier Silvio Berlusconi says the death toll in the earthquake that hit central Italy has reached 260.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday in the devastated mountain town of L’Aquila, Berlusconi said the dead included 16 children, while nine bodies still had to be identified.

Berlusconi said that L’Aquila Bishop Giuseppe Molinari would hold a funeral service for the victims on Friday.

The premier said some 17,700 people left homeless by the quake that struck Monday had found shelter in tent camps set up by authorities. Another 10,000 people were housed in hotels along the coast, bringing the overall number of homeless to almost 28,000.

Aftershocks from the earthquake sent new fears through the tent camps that shelter thousands of survivors, and Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday that he would visit the shocked and injured people of the area as soon as possible.

As rescue teams pressed ahead with their searches in the crumbled buildings, the homeless emerged from tents after spending a second night in chilly mountain temperatures.

“I slept so badly because I kept feeling the aftershocks,” said Daniela Nunut at one of the tent camps set up across the city of L’Aquila. The 46-year Romanian-born woman said she and her companion plan to stay in the tent for now. “What can you do? You can’t go into the building.”

The magnitude-6.3 quake hit L’Aquila and several towns in central Italy early Monday, leveling buildings and reducing entire blocks to piles of rubble and dust.

The pope praised the relief operations as an example of how solidarity can help overcome “even the most painful trials.”

“As soon as possible I hope to visit you,” Benedict said Wednesday at the Vatican.

The Vatican said he would make the trip after Easter Sunday and that he does not want to interfere with relief operations.

The Civil Protection agency said 250 people have died, including 11 who have not been identified. Their funeral was scheduled to be held on Good Friday, regional officials said, although at least one victim’s funeral was going to be held Wednesday in one of the small villages in the stricken area.

Fifteen people remain missing, officials said.

The ANSA news agency reported that four students trapped in the rubble of a dormitory of the University of L’Aquila had died.

By Tuesday evening, rescue crews gave up painstakingly removing debris from the dormitory by hand and brought in huge pincers that pulled off parts of the roof, balconies and walls, showering debris down.

“Unless there is a miracle, I’ve been told (by rescuers) that they probably are dead,” university rector Ferdinando Di Orio said.

Since the quake early Monday, some 430 aftershocks have rumbled through, including some strong ones, said Marco Olivieri of the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology in Rome.

A strong aftershock at 7:47 p.m. Tuesday rained debris on screaming residents and rescue crews, who ran from the site.

Many survivors at the camp said they had been cold during the night as heaters in some of the tents were not working. Some read a newspaper as they lined up for hot coffee or tea and a croissant.

To shelter the homeless against the chilly nights in the mountains, about 20 tent cities have sprouted in open spaces around L’Aquila and surrounding towns. Field kitchens, medical supplies — and clowns with bubbles to entertain traumatized children — were brought in.

Officials estimated Monday that 50,000 people had been left homeless by the quake. By Tuesday evening, that number was lowered to between 17,000 and 25,000, because many moved in with friends or relatives.

Rescue workers continuing their search still held out hope to find somebody alive. Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said the rescue efforts would likely continue until Easter Sunday, beyond the period originally indicated by Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

“It all depends on the conditions, if the person under the rubble has any air or water,” Cristian Martinez, from the Spanish rescue organization Unidad Canina, said as his dogs ran across a pile of rubble that had once been a four-story building in L’Aquila.

Martinez explained that his dogs, which have been sent across the world after quakes and other catastrophes, “would bark if they found a live body and would start digging if they found a dead body.”

So far, the dogs had found no signs of any living human beings in the debris.

“But we don’t give up hope,” said Martinez, adding that his dogs had once found somebody alive 11 days after a quake in Pakistan.

On Tuesday, rescue officials pulled a young woman alive from a collapsed building about 42 hours after the main quake struck the mountainous region.

Eleonora Calesini, a 20-year-old student, was found alive in the ruins of the five-story building in central L’Aquila.

Officials said some 10,000 to 15,000 buildings were either damaged or destroyed in the 26 cities, towns and villages around L’Aquila, a city of 70,000 that is the regional capital of Abruzzo.

Teams started inspecting some buildings still standing Wednesday, including an 18th-century church in downtown L’Aquila, which had been damaged in the quake. Teams are also scheduled to begin surveying houses to see if residents can move back in.

___

Associated Press Writer Alessandra Rizzo in Rome contributed to this report.

THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH FOR BUMPING THIS THREAD!

DONATIONS:

Corriere della Sera – Aprile 2009

An appeal on behalf of communities affected by the Abruzzo earthquake, was launched within hours of the disaster by the

Corriere della Sera, Corriere.it, the Gazzetta dello Sport, Gazzetta.it and City.

WHAT TO DO

– Anyone wishing to make a donation to help victims in the earthquake zone can do so by bank transfer or by credit card.

BANK TRANSFER:

Intesa-San Paolo, ABI 3069, CAB 05061, account number 1000/144, account name: “Un aiuto subito – Terremoto dell’Abruzzo”. IBAN: IT 03 B 03069 05061 100000000144

CREDIT CARD DONATIONS

(CartaSi, MasterCard, Visa, American Express) CartaSi Freephone: 800 317800 (from some mobiles, dial 12 followed by the number)

Calls from abroad:

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Thank you.

Is there a paypal account, as that for me would be quicker or a Skype one. Quick and fast and hopefully our little contributions will add up to help those in need.

Thank you.

I’m glad you’re safe, AGI. The ruin is devastating from the pictures and the death count seems to be rising. I know they had a “miracle” story last night, a young college student pulled from the rubble after 42 hours. And in fairly good shape.

I hope the American government sends personnel and whatever aide is needed to Italy. I understand the Pope is planning a visit to show solidarity and give spiritual support.

Our prayers go out! Stay safe.

Italy: Jihadists exalt Abruzzo earthquakes

http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/CultureAndMedia/?id=3.0.3191807635

Good thing we are no longer in a “War” with these misunderstood creatures.

I feel for all of those who experienced the earthquake. Having been in the heart of Los Angeles during the 6.7 Northridge quake, I can tell you that it is the most vulnerable of feelings. The very thing you thought you could count on, the earth beneath your feet, becomes your enemy. You know that there could be devastating quakes, but when it happens, it truly is a life-altering experience – on a primal level.

I wish them well.

They will rebuild…hopefully, safer, stabler buildings this time. Sadly, the relics are gone.

Thank you so much for posting this info! Now i know there is a way to do something for them.
The news is just heart-breaking.

Such beautiful sentiments!
Thank you all, on behalf of my countrymen and women.

It seems that they are starting to give up hope of
finding many more survivors.

Love and prayers for the survivors are truly greatly
appreciated.

Blessings,
Breeze

[...] American Girl in Italy placed an interesting blog post on earthquake strikes central italy + emergency contact info – UPDATE …Here’s a brief overviewQuake: Italy getting wider. Expansion puts pressure on fault lines and causes tremors. (ANSA) – Rome, April 7 -. Monday’s earthquake in the central region of Abruzzo was in part due to the fact that Italy is getting wider, … [...]