Residents in the Italian town of Medolla spent an anxious night in the open after yesterday’s earthquake left many buildings unsafe to sleep in. They were among an estimated 14,000 people forced to leave their homes after a magnitude 5.8 quake rocked northern and central Italy. At least 16 people were killed and more than 350 injured. The tremor hit the same area as the quake on May 20 which left seven dead.
Resident Selvina Follono said: “We are afraid. Our apartment wasn’t badly damaged but we are afraid so we left and brought our tent. My son is here to pump up the mattress.”
Members of the local fire brigade kept searching into the night at a factory where the bodies of three workmen were believed to be buried under rubble. Their colleagues waited nearby for news.
One of them said he thought the men had been told the building was safe to return to so they went back to work. He told a journalist they were obviously OK about that as they believed what the the experts said but others had questioned whether the previous quake has already caused structural damage.
Italy’s government is to approve fresh emergency measures to help the stricken region later today.