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Italy earthquake: rescue teams dig through rubble as death toll rises Italy earthquake toll rises as rescuers struggle to free people from rubble
(35 minutes later)
At least 37 people have died and many more are missing after a powerful earthquake struck a string of towns and villages in a swathe of mountainous central Italy, razing homes, buckling roads and burying residents under mounds of rubble. At least 38 people have died and many more are missing after a powerful earthquake struck a string of towns and villages in a swath of mountainous central Italy, razing homes, buckling roads and burying residents under mounds of rubble.
The 6.2 magnitude quake struck at 3.36am when most people in the hardest-hit towns of Amatrice, Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto were asleep, and was felt as far away as Rome – more than 150km away – authorities and witnesses said. The 6.2-magnitude quake struck at 3.36am when most people in the hardest-hit towns of Amatrice, Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto were asleep, and was felt as far away as Rome – more than 93 miles (150km) away – authorities and witnesses said.
Residents and emergency services struggled to free people from dozens of buildings that collapsed into piles of masonry in the communities closest to the epicentre of the quake, in a remote area straddling the regions of Umbria, Marche and Lazio.Residents and emergency services struggled to free people from dozens of buildings that collapsed into piles of masonry in the communities closest to the epicentre of the quake, in a remote area straddling the regions of Umbria, Marche and Lazio.
It was Italy’s most powerful earthquake since 2009, when more than 300 people died in and around the city of Aquila, just to the south of Wednesday’s quake.It was Italy’s most powerful earthquake since 2009, when more than 300 people died in and around the city of Aquila, just to the south of Wednesday’s quake.
“The situation is dramatic, there are many dead. I cannot give a toll for now because rescue efforts are under way and it is very, very difficult,” the mayor of Amatrice, Sergio Pirozzi, told local media. “Half the village has disappeared. The aim now is to save as many lives as possible. There are voices under the rubble, we have to save the people there.”“The situation is dramatic, there are many dead. I cannot give a toll for now because rescue efforts are under way and it is very, very difficult,” the mayor of Amatrice, Sergio Pirozzi, told local media. “Half the village has disappeared. The aim now is to save as many lives as possible. There are voices under the rubble, we have to save the people there.”
The mayor of Accumoli, Stefano Petrucci, said as the morning progressed that the situation was “even more dreadful than we feared, with buildings collapsed, people trapped under the rubble and no sound of life”. He said two or three hamlets had “completely disintegrated” and the death toll was expected to rise. The mayor of Accumoli, Stefano Petrucci, said as the morning progressed that the situation was “even more dreadful than we feared, with buildings collapsed, people trapped under the rubble and no sound of life”. He said two or three hamlets had completely disintegrated and the death toll was expected to rise.
Italian television showed images of distraught residents and holidaymakers in the popular tourist destination sifting through the rubble with shovels and their bare hands as emergency services scrambled to move in earth-moving machinery and sniffer dogs.Italian television showed images of distraught residents and holidaymakers in the popular tourist destination sifting through the rubble with shovels and their bare hands as emergency services scrambled to move in earth-moving machinery and sniffer dogs.
Pope Francis prayed for the victims and survivors with a crowd of tens of thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square in Rome for his general audience. “Hearing the mayor of Amatrice say the town no longer exists, that there are children among the victims, I am deeply saddened,” he said.Pope Francis prayed for the victims and survivors with a crowd of tens of thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square in Rome for his general audience. “Hearing the mayor of Amatrice say the town no longer exists, that there are children among the victims, I am deeply saddened,” he said.
As the toll mounted on Wednesday morning, at least 10 people died in Pescara del Tronto, a hamlet close to the bigger town of Arquato where more than up to 100 people were still unaccounted for, while six bodies were recovered at Amatrice and seven confirmed dead at Accumoli, according to regional authorities. According to Immacolata Postiglione, a civil protection service spokeswoman, 27 people died between the towns of Accumoli and Amatrice, and a further 10 were killed in the nearby Arquata area. She later raised the death toll to 38 without giving further details. Many were still unaccounted for.
News reports said the hospital in Amatrice had also been badly damaged and that patients had to be moved out into the streets, where the air was thick with dust and smelled strongly of gas. News reports said the hospital in Amatrice had also been badly damaged and that patients had to be moved into the streets, where the air was thick with dust and smelled strongly of gas.
Television pictures showed entire buildings razed, debris of rocks and metal that had tumbled onto the streets, and dazed residents huddled on squares and pavements. As many as 60 aftershocks, some measuring as strong as 5.5 on the Richter scale, continued through the morning. Television pictures showed entire buildings razed, debris of rocks and metal that had tumbled on to the streets and dazed residents huddled on squares and pavements. As many as 60 aftershocks, some measuring as strong as 5.5 on the Richter scale, continued through the morning.
“The whole ceiling fell but did not hit me,” resident Maria Gianni told AP. “I just managed to put a pillow on my head and I wasn’t hit luckily, just slightly injured my leg.” “The whole ceiling fell but did not hit me,” resident Maria Gianni told the Associated Press. “I just managed to put a pillow on my head and I wasn’t hit luckily, just slightly injured my leg.”
Another woman, sitting in front of her destroyed home with a blanket over her shoulders, said she didn’t know what had become of her family. “It was one of the most beautiful towns of Italy and now there’s nothing left,” she said. “I don’t know what we’ll do.” Another woman, sitting in front of her destroyed home with a blanket over her shoulders, said she did not know what had become of her family. “It was one of the most beautiful towns of Italy and now there’s nothing left,” she said. “I don’t know what we’ll do.”
Tourists on holiday in the region told the Guardian of their experiences. “The quake and at least one aftershock caused us to run out of the buildings in a panic,” said Nick Mortimer, one of a family of nine gathering for a 60th birthday celebration in near Amandola. Tourists on holiday in the region told the Guardian of their experiences. “The quake and at least one aftershock caused us to run out of the buildings in a panic,” said Nick Mortimer, one of a family of nine gathering for a 60th birthday celebration in nearby Amandola.
Renata Morioni, on holiday a few miles from Amatrice, said: “I felt a very strong shaking at about 3am … It went on for ages – then again about half an hour or 45 min later. Terrifying.”Renata Morioni, on holiday a few miles from Amatrice, said: “I felt a very strong shaking at about 3am … It went on for ages – then again about half an hour or 45 min later. Terrifying.”
The US geological survey measured the quake at 6.2 magnitude and put its epicentre near the Umbrian town of Norcia. Italy’s earthquake institute, INGV, registered it at 6.0 and said the epicentre was closer to Accumoli and Amatrice. The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 6.2 magnitude and put its epicentre near the Umbrian town of Norcia. Italy’s earthquake institute, INGV, registered it at 6.0 and said the epicentre was closer to Accumoli and Amatrice.
Experts said the epicentre was relatively shallow at about 10km, making the surface damage more severe. Dr Mark Quigley said some 13,000 people would have experienced “severe ground shaking” persisting for probably 10-20 seconds and another 230,000 would have felt very strong tremors. Experts said the epicentre was relatively shallow at about six miles, making the surface damage more severe. Dr Mark Quigley said about 13,000 people would have experienced “severe ground shaking” persisting for probably 10-20 seconds and another 230,000 would have felt very strong tremors.
“This earthquake is no surprise,” said Quigley, an active tectonics and geomorphology professor at the university of Melbourne. “This is one of the most seismically active parts of Italy.” He noted that six severe earthquakes had hit the region in the past seven centuries, including a series of three magnitude 6 quakes in 1703 that killed 10,000 people. “This earthquake is no surprise,” said Quigley, an active tectonics and geomorphology professor at the University of Melbourne. “This is one of the most seismically active parts of Italy.”
He noted that six severe earthquakes had hit the region in the past seven centuries, includingthree magnitude-6 quakes in 1703 that killed 10,000 people.
Italy’s deadliest earthquake since the start of the 20th century came in 1908, when a major tremor followed by a tsunami left an estimated 80,000 people dead in the southern regions of Reggio Calabria and Sicily.Italy’s deadliest earthquake since the start of the 20th century came in 1908, when a major tremor followed by a tsunami left an estimated 80,000 people dead in the southern regions of Reggio Calabria and Sicily.
As residents, civil protection workers and even priests dug through the rubble, calls went out for more equipment and helpers. “We need chain saws, shears to cut iron bars, and jacks to remove beams: everything, we need everything,” Andrea Gentili, a civil protection worker, said. The national blood service appealed for donations to Rieti’s hospital. As residents, civil protection workers and even priests dug through the rubble, calls went out for more equipment and helpers. “We need chainsaws, shears to cut iron bars, and jacks to remove beams: everything, we need everything,” Andrea Gentili, a civil protection worker, said. The national blood service appealed for donations to Rieti’s hospital.
“I don’t know what to say. We are living this immense tragedy,” said the Savino D’Amelio, a parish priest in the hilltop village of Amatrice, a popular destination for Rome residents seeking cool mountain air in the hot summer. “We are only hoping there will be the least number of victims possible and that we all have the courage to move on.” “I don’t know what to say. We are living this immense tragedy,” said the Rev Savino D’Amelio, a parish priest in the hilltop village of Amatrice, a popular destination for Rome residents seeking cool mountain air in the hot summer.
“We are only hoping there will be the least number of victims possible and that we all have the courage to move on.”
Pirozzi, the mayor, said access to the village was difficult. “There is a landslide on one road, a bridge is about to collapse on the other one,” he said. “We can hear voices under the rubble.”Pirozzi, the mayor, said access to the village was difficult. “There is a landslide on one road, a bridge is about to collapse on the other one,” he said. “We can hear voices under the rubble.”
The 2009 Aquila quake led to lengthy recriminations over lax building controls and the failure of authorities to warn residents that a quake could be imminent.The 2009 Aquila quake led to lengthy recriminations over lax building controls and the failure of authorities to warn residents that a quake could be imminent.