Italy on Thursday vowed to rebuild every home destroyed after a powerful earthquake that forced thousands to flee in terror but "miraculously" did not cause any fatalities. Two months after tremors in the same area left nearly 300 dead, two powerful shocks ripped through a mountainous, sparsely-populated part of central Italy on Wednesday evening.
Despite numerous building collapses, no deaths were reported in the aftermath of the 5.5 and 6.1 magnitude tremors. "Given the strength of the shocks the absence of any deaths or serious injuries is miraculous," Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said. The government announced the release of 40 million euros ($44 million) and extended a state of emergency declared after the deadly August quake.
"We will rebuild everything, 100 percent, that is the government's commitment," said Vasco Errani, the reconstruction supremo appointed after the August disaster. More than 200 aftershocks rattled the area through the night and into Thursday after the initial two were felt in Rome, some 175 kilometres (110 miles) away from the epicentres.
Marco Rinaldi, mayor of the village of Ussita, described "apocalyptic" scenes. "People were in the streets screaming. Many houses have collapsed. Our town is finished," he said. "I've felt a lot of earthquakes but that was the strongest I've ever felt. Fortunately everyone had already left their homes after the first quake so I don't think anyone was hurt."
Geologist Mario Tozzi told AFP the damage was caused by a new earthquake, rather than, as first thought, aftershocks from the August one. Tozzi said the twin tremors were consistent with a pattern of seismic "double strikes" in the central Appenines. Even in Rome, some people took to the streets as a precautionary measure, underlining lingering jitters after the summer disaster.
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