Italy Earthquake Update: Rescue Efforts Underway After Tremors Leave 38 Dead, Levels Whole Towns [VIDEO]
A powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Italy early Wednesday, killing at least 38 people and injuring dozens more. As tremor after tremor hit the region, whole towns were leveled and tens of thousands were displaced from their homes.
The main 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck at 3:36 a.m. on Wednesday, with its epicenter located about 5.5 miles below ground and 10 miles from the Italian town of Norcia, a cozy spot in the country famous for its olive plantations and vineyards.
Despite the earthquake's rather shallow depth, the damage from the main tremors was quite significant, with the tremors' effects reportedly felt as far as Rome, which is 100 miles away.
What was particularly deadly about Wednesday's tremors were the aftershocks that succeeded the main 6.2-magnitude earthquake. According to authorities, roughly 40 aftershocks, some measuring as high as 5.5 in the Richter Scale, were felt in the region over a three-hour period after the initial earthquake.
One of the hardest hit areas, Amatrice, has practically been leveled by the powerful earthquake and its aftershocks. Sergio Pirozzi, mayor of the town, described how the earthquake affected the town of 2,000 people.
"The town is no more. Help us," he said.
Accumoli, another town that was hit hard by the Wednesday tremors, quickly became a scene of desperation as rescuers attempted to dig out as many survivors as they can. Accumoli Mayor Stefano Petrucci described the current scenario in the town.
"We're digging, digging, hoping to find someone alive," he said in an interview with CNN.
Red Cross spokesman Tommaso della Longa described the current state of the rescue efforts being initiated in the region.
"The biggest problem at the moment is logistic problems because it's in central Italy, with really small villages. Now the biggest challenge is to reach all of them," he said.
"During the holidays there are a lot of people there. So we don't have a precise number of how many are affected. We can talk about tens of thousands, but we don't know the exact number."
Villages such as Amatrice have become popular tourist destinations in the country. Thus, during summertime, the tiny towns become the hosts to thousands of visitors.
