A fireman looks at cracks in the road outside Norcia, central Italy after a 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck on October 30, 2016. — AFP/VNA Photo Viet Nam News NORCIA, Italy — Italy’s most powerful earthquake in 36 years struck the country’s mountainous centre Sunday, panicking shell-shocked residents for the third time in two months and flattening a world famous 600-year-old basilica. Remarkably, there were no reports of anyone dying as a result of the 6.6-magnitude quake but more than 3,000 people were left temporarily homeless, the national civil protection agency said. "We can confirm that we have no information on victims," said agency head Fabrizio Curcio, adding that 20 people had been injured, relatively lightly. However "many buildings are in a critical state in historic centres and there are problems with electricity and water supplies," Curcio told reporters. The quake struck at 7:40am (0640 GMT) near Norcia in the region of Umbria, unleashing a … [Read more...] about New Italy quake sows terror, flattens historic church
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Italy quake toll hits 247 as rescuers hunt for survivors
Rescue and emergency services personnel carry a survivor on a stretcher during search and rescue operations in Amatrice. — AFP/VNA Photo ACCUMOLI, Italy – The death toll from a powerful earthquake that shook central Italy rose to 247 today, officials said, as rescuers desperately searched for survivors in the rubble of devastated mountain villages. Hundreds of others were injured, some critically, and an unknown number were trapped under the ruins of collapsed buildings after Wednesday's pre-dawn quake. Amid scenes of carnage, dozens of emergency services staff and volunteers were determined to attempt to pluck more survivors from the ruins. Rescuers had pledged to work through the night in the hope of finding people alive in the mangled wreckage of homes. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi had earlier warned that the toll would likely rise after visiting the badly hit village of Amatrice. Hundreds of people spent a chilly night in hastily assembled tents with the risk of … [Read more...] about Italy quake toll hits 247 as rescuers hunt for survivors
‘Voices under the rubble’ after quake hits Italy; at least 73 dead
A powerful earthquake devastated a string of mountain towns in central Italy on Wednesday, trapping residents under rubble, killing at least 73 people and leaving thousands homeless. The quake struck in the early hours of the morning when most residents were asleep, razing homes and buckling roads in a cluster of communities some 140 km (85 miles) east of Rome. It was powerful enough to be felt in Bologna to the north and Naples to the south, each more than 220 km from the epicenter. A family of four, including two boys aged 8 months and 9 years, were buried when their house in Accumoli imploded. As rescue workers carried away the body of the infant, carefully covered by a small blanket, the children's grandmother blamed God: "He took them all at once," she wailed. The army was mobilized to help with special heavy equipment and the treasury released 235 million euros ($265 million) of emergency funds. At the Vatican, Pope Francis canceled part of his general audience to pray for the … [Read more...] about ‘Voices under the rubble’ after quake hits Italy; at least 73 dead
At least 18 dead as Italy hit by powerful quake
Rescuers carry a man from the rubble after a strong heartquake hit Amatrice, Italy, on Wednesday. — AFP/VNA Photo Viet Nam News ROME – At least 18 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck central Italy in the early hours today, according to local officials. Deaths were reported in three villages in a mountainous area straddling the regions of Lazio and Marche: Amatrice, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto. At least 10 people died in Pescara, a hamlet that is part of the bigger village of Arquata del Tronto, according to civil protection officers cited by the ANSA news agency. Six bodies were recovered at Amatrice, according to the president of the Lazio region, and two at Accumoli, according to the town’s mayor. Numerous buildings had collapsed in communities close to the epicentre of the quake near the town of Norcia in the region of Umbria, witnesses told Italian media, with an increase in the death toll highly likely. The tremors were sufficiently … [Read more...] about At least 18 dead as Italy hit by powerful quake
At least three dead as Italy hit by powerful quake
Rescuers carry a man from the rubble after a strong heartquake hit Amatrice, Italy, on Wednesday. — AFP/VNA Photo Viet Nam News ROME – Central Italy was struck by a powerful, 6.2-magnitude earthquake in the early hours today, leaving at least three people dead and devastating dozens of mountain villages. Numerous buildings had collapsed in communities close to the epicentre of the quake near the town of Norcia in the region of Umbria, witnesses told Italian media, with an increase in the death toll highly likely. The tremors were sufficiently strong to wake residents of central Rome, some 150 km away. The first two confirmed victims were an elderly couple whose home collapsed in Pescara del Tronto in the Marche region, east of the epicentre, according to national broadcaster Rai. Another person died and a family of four including two young children were trapped, feared dead, in their collapsed house in Accumoli, a village close to the epicentre, according to its … [Read more...] about At least three dead as Italy hit by powerful quake