Within four hours, ‘living the dream’ in Italy turned into a living nightmare.
On Jan. 18, four earthquakes — all above a magnitude five — shook the country, terrorizing all and reportedly killing guests at a ski lodge. Around 10:30 a.m., their epicenters struck near the mountain town Amatrice, where an earthquake last August killed nearly 300 people.
Among those affected was 63-year-old Nello Patrizi, who explain the earthquakes as an “apocalyptic shock.”
“We were petrified,” he said. “The first one was bad enough, the others seemed even stronger. You had the impression everything was collapsing; people were screaming.”
According to officials, the earthquakes struck as the area experienced a record snowfall and more than 130,000 homes lost electricity. While some people struggled to avoid hypothermia, an earthquake-triggered avalanche buried the Hotel Rigopiano in the central Abruzzo region, expectedly killing 29 people.
During the aftermath, 55-year-old Fabio di Gianfrancesco explained he went to the hamlet Aringo to help elderly relatives leave the area.
“They were trapped in the house because of the snow,” he said. “We got them out and then helped the last 10 or so residents here to leave.”
As the quakes struck, scientists monitored their strengths at between 5.1 and 5.3, 5.7, 5.4, and 5.1, respectively. The area also faced more than 100 major aftershocks. Residents in other areas felt the quakes as well, including in Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche and Rome — which is over 60 miles away.
This morning, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry announced they will help Italy in the cleanup of the earthquakes’ aftermath. The head of the ministry, Vladimir Puchkov said they are working out the details with Italian colleagues.
“They are carrying out a rescue operation with a high level,” he said. “And if there is a special request, we will send rescuers and all specialists.”
After an earthquake last year, Russian officials worked with the country to reconstruct schools and important facilities. This is the second gesture Russia made in helping Italy recover from earthquakes.
Because of its location, the country faced numerous earthquakes the past few years — this incident being the third in five months. Italy and its surrounding waters are between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates, making it prone to seismic activity. The area at most risk is the mountains in the central part of the country.
