Strong Earthquake Hits North Italy (5/19/2012)
Published on May 20, 2012 by CrackinNews
A strong earthquake rocked a large swathe of northern Italy early on Sunday, causing at least three deaths and bringing about the collapse of rural factories and ancient bell towers in towns.
The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 4:04 a.m. (0204 GMT) and had a magnitude of 6.0, was in the plains near Modena in the Po River Valley and the tremors were felt in nearby regions.
It was the strongest quake to hit Italy in three years.
One person working a night shift died in the collapse of a factory and two were killed when a modern ceramics factory made of steel crumpled.
Rescue officials were checking reports that other people were buried under rubble.
There was serious damage to historic buildings such as the 14th century Estense Castle in the town of San Felice Sul Panaro, near the epicentre.
There were fears that one of the towers of the famous mediaeval castle, the town's biggest attraction, could collapse. The town's main church was also severely damaged.
Northern Italy quake
An earthquake in northern Italy has killed at least seven people and caused serious damage to buildings in several towns, local officials say.
The magnitude-6.0 quake struck in the middle of the night, about 35km (22 miles) north of the city of Bologna.
The tremor caused "significant damage to the cultural heritage" of Emilia Romagna region, the government said.
Later on Sunday, a magnitude-5.1 aftershock hit the region, causing more buildings to collapse.
The aftershock destroyed a clock tower and made a firefighter fall from a wall in the town of Finale Emilia, near the epicentre of the first tremor.
Sunday's quake was the worst to hit the country since the L'Aquila tremor killed nearly 300 people in central Italy in 2009.
'Big bang'
The earthquake struck at a relatively shallow depth of 10km just after 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT).
It was felt across a large swathe of northern Italy, including the cities of Bologna, Ferrara, Verona and Mantua and as far away as Milan and Venice.
The tremor forced many terrified residents into the streets.
Two people were killed in Sant'Agostino when a ceramics factory collapsed.
The mother of one of the victims told local media that "he wasn't supposed to be there. He changed shifts with a friend".
Another person - believed to be a Moroccan national - was killed in Ponte Rodoni do Bondeno.
In Tecopress di Dosso, one worker died when the roof of a foundry collapsed, Rai News24 reports.
Local media say three women died as a result of illness induced by the tremors: a 37-year-old German national, near Bologna, who was said to have had a heart attack, a centenarian in Sant'Agostino and an octogenarian.
About 50 people were injured - but no-one seriously.
More than 3,000 people were later evacuated from their homes amid fears of fresh tremors.
"I was woken at around 04:00 by the quake, it was strong and lasted up to a minute, maybe more," Frankie Thompson, a UK travel journalist in Bologna, told the BBC.
"Church bells were set off spontaneously... followed by an eerie silence. Small aftershocks kept coming and going until maybe 05:50 when a stronger tremor shook us again but not as long and dramatic as the first," she added.
Britain's David Trew, who is staying in a hotel in Ferrara, told the BBC: "I was sound asleep when the tremors started. I was having quite a vivid dream, and the first few seconds of the quake became part of the dream.
"As I began to wake up it took me a few seconds to realise that it was actually happening for real. I fumbled around in the darkness, now very scared. The room was shaking violently, plaster was dropping off the ceiling into my hair and all over the floor."
One local resident told Ansa: "I heard a big bang and I ran on the terrace, I was afraid of falling."
TV footage later showed people inspecting damaged houses, offices and historic buildings. Parts of a castle in Finale Emilia collapsed.
Emergency officials ordered the evacuation of patients from hospitals as a precautionary measure.
Northern Italy is frequently rocked by minor earthquakes, but the country is well-prepared to deal with them, the BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome reports.
In January, a magnitude-5.3 quake hit northern Italy but caused no injuries.
http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/powerful-quake-kills-at-least-4-in-northern-italy-1.3728532
Photo credit: AP | Debris of a collapsed church block a road in Finale Emilia, some 60 kilometers east of Bologna in northern Italy after the region was hit a quake early Sunday, May 20, 2012. One of the strongest earthquakes to shake northern Italy rattled the region around Bologna early Sunday, a magnitude-6.0 temblor that killed at least four people, toppled buildings and sent residents running into the streets, emergency services and news reports said.(AP Photo/Marco Vasini)
Little girl under the earthquake rubble was saved by a call
(AGI) Rome - It was a "miracle". This is the most frequently used word in telling the story of little 5-year old Victoria, who was buried under the rubble of a building in Finale Emilia during last night's earthquake and was rescued by the Fire Department who was following the track opened by a telephone call coming from...New York. In fact, it was an Italian physician who has been living and working in the United States for over 2 years that called the 113 emergency toll-free number after having read of the Internet that the quake had hit his native town and after having been contacted by an Emilian acquaintance who told him of the little girl and explained that she was unable to contact the rescue teams. The Operating Control Room of the Police Headquarters in Rome immediately contacted the Fire Department and the Police of Modena and Vittoria was quickly found and rescued and taken to the hospital in Carpi. Her first-floor bed-room collapsed under the weight of the the ancient 17th Century Obici Tower, which had "freshly" been restored but the little girl was protected by two beams. She suffered some bruises, a big scare but no serious injury. . .
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/six-killed-as-italy-earthquake-leaves-restored-churches-in-ruins
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/13732357/italy-earthquake-kills-at-least-six/
AFP © Firemen recover a painting from a destroyed church in the village of San Carlo after an earthquake shook downtown Finale Emilia, in the Modena province.
Published on May 20, 2012 by CrackinNews
A strong earthquake rocked a large swathe of northern Italy early on Sunday, causing at least three deaths and bringing about the collapse of rural factories and ancient bell towers in towns.
The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 4:04 a.m. (0204 GMT) and had a magnitude of 6.0, was in the plains near Modena in the Po River Valley and the tremors were felt in nearby regions.
It was the strongest quake to hit Italy in three years.
One person working a night shift died in the collapse of a factory and two were killed when a modern ceramics factory made of steel crumpled.
Rescue officials were checking reports that other people were buried under rubble.
There was serious damage to historic buildings such as the 14th century Estense Castle in the town of San Felice Sul Panaro, near the epicentre.
There were fears that one of the towers of the famous mediaeval castle, the town's biggest attraction, could collapse. The town's main church was also severely damaged.
Northern Italy quake
- Kills at least six and damages buildings across Emilia Romagna region
- San Felice sul Panaro: 15th-Century castle severely damaged
- Finale Emilia: bell tower collapses, crushing cars
- Sant'Agostino: ceramic factory destroyed, killing two employees
- Tecopress di Dosso: worker dies when a factory roof collapses
- Buonacompra: historic church destroyed
- Tremor also felt in cities of Bologna, Modena, Ferrara, Rovigo, Verona, Mantua, Milan and Venice
An earthquake in northern Italy has killed at least seven people and caused serious damage to buildings in several towns, local officials say.
The magnitude-6.0 quake struck in the middle of the night, about 35km (22 miles) north of the city of Bologna.
The tremor caused "significant damage to the cultural heritage" of Emilia Romagna region, the government said.
Later on Sunday, a magnitude-5.1 aftershock hit the region, causing more buildings to collapse.
The aftershock destroyed a clock tower and made a firefighter fall from a wall in the town of Finale Emilia, near the epicentre of the first tremor.
Sunday's quake was the worst to hit the country since the L'Aquila tremor killed nearly 300 people in central Italy in 2009.
'Big bang'
The earthquake struck at a relatively shallow depth of 10km just after 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT).
It was felt across a large swathe of northern Italy, including the cities of Bologna, Ferrara, Verona and Mantua and as far away as Milan and Venice.
The tremor forced many terrified residents into the streets.
Two people were killed in Sant'Agostino when a ceramics factory collapsed.
The mother of one of the victims told local media that "he wasn't supposed to be there. He changed shifts with a friend".
Another person - believed to be a Moroccan national - was killed in Ponte Rodoni do Bondeno.
In Tecopress di Dosso, one worker died when the roof of a foundry collapsed, Rai News24 reports.
Local media say three women died as a result of illness induced by the tremors: a 37-year-old German national, near Bologna, who was said to have had a heart attack, a centenarian in Sant'Agostino and an octogenarian.
About 50 people were injured - but no-one seriously.
More than 3,000 people were later evacuated from their homes amid fears of fresh tremors.
"I was woken at around 04:00 by the quake, it was strong and lasted up to a minute, maybe more," Frankie Thompson, a UK travel journalist in Bologna, told the BBC.
"Church bells were set off spontaneously... followed by an eerie silence. Small aftershocks kept coming and going until maybe 05:50 when a stronger tremor shook us again but not as long and dramatic as the first," she added.
Britain's David Trew, who is staying in a hotel in Ferrara, told the BBC: "I was sound asleep when the tremors started. I was having quite a vivid dream, and the first few seconds of the quake became part of the dream.
"As I began to wake up it took me a few seconds to realise that it was actually happening for real. I fumbled around in the darkness, now very scared. The room was shaking violently, plaster was dropping off the ceiling into my hair and all over the floor."
One local resident told Ansa: "I heard a big bang and I ran on the terrace, I was afraid of falling."
TV footage later showed people inspecting damaged houses, offices and historic buildings. Parts of a castle in Finale Emilia collapsed.
Emergency officials ordered the evacuation of patients from hospitals as a precautionary measure.
Northern Italy is frequently rocked by minor earthquakes, but the country is well-prepared to deal with them, the BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome reports.
In January, a magnitude-5.3 quake hit northern Italy but caused no injuries.
http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/powerful-quake-kills-at-least-4-in-northern-italy-1.3728532
Photo credit: AP | Debris of a collapsed church block a road in Finale Emilia, some 60 kilometers east of Bologna in northern Italy after the region was hit a quake early Sunday, May 20, 2012. One of the strongest earthquakes to shake northern Italy rattled the region around Bologna early Sunday, a magnitude-6.0 temblor that killed at least four people, toppled buildings and sent residents running into the streets, emergency services and news reports said.(AP Photo/Marco Vasini)
Little girl under the earthquake rubble was saved by a call
(AGI) Rome - It was a "miracle". This is the most frequently used word in telling the story of little 5-year old Victoria, who was buried under the rubble of a building in Finale Emilia during last night's earthquake and was rescued by the Fire Department who was following the track opened by a telephone call coming from...New York. In fact, it was an Italian physician who has been living and working in the United States for over 2 years that called the 113 emergency toll-free number after having read of the Internet that the quake had hit his native town and after having been contacted by an Emilian acquaintance who told him of the little girl and explained that she was unable to contact the rescue teams. The Operating Control Room of the Police Headquarters in Rome immediately contacted the Fire Department and the Police of Modena and Vittoria was quickly found and rescued and taken to the hospital in Carpi. Her first-floor bed-room collapsed under the weight of the the ancient 17th Century Obici Tower, which had "freshly" been restored but the little girl was protected by two beams. She suffered some bruises, a big scare but no serious injury. . .
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/six-killed-as-italy-earthquake-leaves-restored-churches-in-ruins
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/13732357/italy-earthquake-kills-at-least-six/
AFP © Firemen recover a painting from a destroyed church in the village of San Carlo after an earthquake shook downtown Finale Emilia, in the Modena province.
