Italy earthquake leaves 159 dead
Friday, 26/08/2016 11:36 (GMT+7)
An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale has struck the town of Amatrice in the central Italy, killing at least 159 people and leaving many trapped beneath the rubble of buildings that collapsed while they slept.
The quake damaged the town of Amatrice in Italy (Photo: Reuters)
The quake hit around 03h36 local time on August 24th when many were asleep, devastating whole towns across the region. Rescue teams were working through the night to try to find survivors under the rubble that remained of central Italian towns flattened by the earthquake.
Italy’s Health Minister, Beatrice Lorenzin, said that many of the victims were children. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the death toll was likely to rise. At least 368 people were injured.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi had previously paid tribute to the volunteers and civil defence officials who rushed to the scene in the middle of the night and used their bare hands to dig for survivors.
Locals, paramedics, police and rescue workers joined forces to address the devastation that affected nearly 70 hamlets across the town./.
Compiled by BTA
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