Italy quake kills at least 150, scores saved

Rescuers scrambled in the dark Tuesday to find survivors from a powerful earthquake in central Italy that killed at least 150 people as thousands of homeless sought shelter in hastily built tent cities.

With nightfall adding to the driving rain hampering the search, emergency services said 100 people had been pulled alive from the rubble of Renaissance and Baroque buildings around the historic town L'Aquila since the quake struck early Monday.

The government has estimated that up to 70,000 people have been left homeless by the quake which measured magnitude 6.2 that damaged 10,000 buildings, many beyond repair.

The epicentre was under L'Aquila and massive destruction was reported for 30 kilometers 20 miles in all directions from the town. The nearby villages of Villa Sant'Angelo and Borgo di Castelnuovo were practically wiped out.

Many residents fled L'Aquila, some even on foot. Others were lucky enough to find shelter in army barracks, stadiums and sports centres as overnight temperatures were expected to dip to four degrees Celsius 39 Fahrenheit.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared a state of emergency in the Abruzzo region and cancelled a trip to Russia in order to visit L'Aquila, about 100 kilometres 60 miles northeast of Rome.

He said an initial 30 million euros 40 million dollars had been earmarked to help the region.

Rescue workers said at least 150 people were killed, of which 98 had already been identified, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. while Berlusconi told a news conference here that 1,500 people were injured.

"No one will be abandoned to his fate," he vowed, adding that a tent village was being set up that could accommodate between 16,000 and 20,000 people.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni pledged 1,700 additional rescuers, including 1,500 firefighters.

He said rescue efforts would continue working "day and night", television footage showed rescue workers in L'Aquila toiling under huge lights after night fell.

The quake struck just after 3:30 am 0130 GMT and lasted about 30 seconds, bringing down many historic buildings, including the dome on the 16th century San Bernardino church. The city's cathedral was also damaged.

Roofs caved in on sleeping inhabitants and boulders fell off mountain slopes blocking many roads. At least five children were among the dead in L'Aquila, according to police.

Doctors treated people in the open air outside L'Aquila's main hospital as only one operating room was functioning.

L'Aquila resident Maria Francesco said: "It was the apocalypse, 20 minutes of hell, our house collapsed. It's destroyed, and there's nothing left to recover."

"It's a scandal what's happened," she told AFP. "For the past three months there have been regular tremors, and they've been getting stronger and stronger!"

Luigi D'Andrea, a student, was asleep when the quake struck and escaped through a neighbour's flat, only to return to recover his computer. "I'm very lucky I wasn't hurt, but now I don't know what to do, whether I should leave here or not. I'll wait and see."

Italy is criss-crossed by two fault lines, making it one of Europe's most quake-vulnerable regions, with some 20 million people at risk.





AP/Ron Edmonds

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