Sunday’s earthquake struck around 7:40 a.m. local time and was centered about 6 kilometers north of Norcia. The strong earthquake was felt as far away as Rome and as far north as Venice, according to the BBC.
This latest earthquake comes just days after more aftershocks hit the region, stemming from the devastating earthquake that hit in August, killing 300 people.
At least nine people have been injured but no deaths have been reported so far. Many people in the region had already left and were staying in emergency camps and hotel rooms paid for by the government. Schools had been shut down in anticipation of more aftershocks last week.
Today’s earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), making it relatively shallow, reports the USGS. Usually, when an earthquake’s epicenter is shallow, the more the quake is felt at the surface and the more damage is done.
Monks are saying the Basilica of San Benedetto was flattened by the earthquake, and initial television images coming out of the region show devastating damage to a number of historical buildings and homes.
Emergency and rescue personnel are now fearful of mudslides in the region and are wary over the risk of bringing heavy equipment up many of the narrow roads that link the towns and villages in the hilly region.
While many of the recent quakes have been considered aftershocks from the August earthquake, Derek Van Dam, with CNN’s weather department says the 5.5 and 6.1 magnitude quakes that hit the region Wednesday last week were actually “considered foreshocks” ahead of Sunday’s “main earthquake.”
Reuters is reporting that Italy sits on two fault lines, making it the most seismically active country in Europe.
“This morning’s quake has hit the few things that were left standing. We will have to start from scratch,” Michele Franchi, the deputy mayor of Arquata del Tronto, told Rai television, reports Reuters..
