6.3 earthquake has struck 50 miles from Rome

[Bluebear]

WASHINGTON, April 5 (Reuters) - A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Italy on Sunday about 53 miles (85 km) northeast of Rome, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. (Washington World Desk, [phone])

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N052379.htm

ROME (Reuters) - An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale rocked central Italy on Monday and was felt in the capital Rome, but there was no immediate word of casualties or damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the quake, which struck in the early hours at about 0235 GMT, was believed to be some 53 miles northeast of Rome. It initially put the scale of the quake at 6.7 but later lowered it 6.3

Some residents of Rome, which is rarely hit by seismic activity, were woken by the quake.

Earthquakes can be particularly dangerous in parts of Italy where centuries-old buildings are left in disrepair.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE53506120090406

[malaise]

1. I'm sure some of those old buildings

must be damaged. Hope people are OK. That's a serious shake.

[Bluebear]

2. Indeed.

[malaise]

7. University dormitory in L'Aquila collapsed

This is major. A resident is on BBC live now.
Widespread devastation.

[csziggy]

3. Looks like part of a swarm ranging from 3.3 to 6.2-3

European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre
http://www.emsc-csem.org/index.php?page=home

[Bluebear]

4. Holy moly that is a busy little map

[csziggy]

5. There have been three more earthquakes in Italy since I posted the link!

Last one does not have magnitude yet.

Europe is very seismically active, especially Greece and Italy. Probably part of the reason so many valuable mineral resources were close to the surface for humans to exploit and civilization to develop.

[malaise]

6. If you have BBC International

or European stations it's Breaking News. Looks like deaths and injuries.
Lots of damage - streams of injured arriving at hospitals, people trapped in rubble. Lots of damaged buildings. How tragic.

add

[MiniMe]

8. Some good info here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3817075

[malaise]

9. Powerful Italian quake kills many

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7984867.stm
<snip>
At least 50 people have been killed in a powerful earthquake that struck central Italy, Italian officials say.

Five children are said to be among the dead and many remain unaccounted for as a massive search for the trapped is under way.

The 6.3-magnitude quake struck at 0330 (0130 GMT) close to L'Aquila city, 95km (60 miles) north-east of Rome.

A civil protection official said 3,000 to 10,000 buildings in the medieval city may have been damaged.

And as many as 50,000 people are feared to have been made homeless.

The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in L'Aquila described bemused and confused locals wrapped in blankets and carrying their personal belongings in suitcases walking, like a stream of refugees, through the devastation.

At the moment, the situation is not fully under control, our correspondent says.