A fresh earthquake rekindled fears
Tuesday in central Italy where three tremors devastated villages
across Lazio, Umbria and Marche in August and October 2016,
killing 299 people.
No one was hurt Tuesday but there was further damage to
structures already damaged in previous tremblers.
A 4.6 magnitude quake hit Muccia near Macerata, one of
Marche's four provincial capitals, at 5.11 and was followed by
at least three aftershocks measuring between three and four in
magnitude.
No one was injured but a small belfry of a 17th-century
church was felled in Muccia.
The quake "felled the small belfry of the 17th-century church
of Santa Maria di Varano," Muccia Mayor Mario Baroni told
reporters.
He said checks were being made to see if there was any damage
to the few houses still habitable in the village.
Of 920 inhabitants, 550 are in temporary post-quake
accommodation, 120-30 people are in houses undamaged by previous
quakes and the rest are in other personally organised
accommodation or living with relatives, he said.
There was "no damage" to the emergency temporary post-quake
homes known as SAEs, Baroni told ANSA.
"The SAE homes suffered no damage," Baroni said, adding that
"there are no problems, at the most some objects fell down".
"We were very scared, but there was no damage".
Other "significant damage" was reported at another village
near Macerata, Pieve Torina, where schools will be closed today,
the mayor said.
Four families were evacuated at Pieve Torina due to cracks
and collapses in the structures, local sources said.
There were also risks of structural instability, said Mayor
Alessandro Gentilucci, who is coordinating the post-quake
assessments being carried out by four teams of municipal experts
and one fire brigade team.
Some 20 people including some children have been evacuated,
Gentilucci said.
Some 20 more people have been left homeless at Pieve Torina,
Reconstruction Commissioner Paola De Micheli said.
"We are putting into the field all the necessary assistance
for the population," De Micheli added.
She was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with local
mayors, Civil Protection chief Angelo Borrelli and Marche
Governor Luca Ceriscioli.
Ceriscioli said "there is great worry and fear for the new
quake"
He said "this new episode is proof that the emergency is not
over".
"For those who suffered damage today, we will give the same
response as we did to the other victims," Ceriscioli said.
The quake was felt as far away as Norcia and Perugia in
Umbria.
Trenitalia stopped trains to check the Macerata-Civitanova
line, then reopened it.
Civil Protection Chief Angelo Borrelli is travelling to
Marche.
A 3.3 magnitude quake was also felt at 6:49 at Ocre near
L'Aquila in Abruzzo where 309 people were killed in a major
tremor nine years ago.
The National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV)
said it was "fairly likely" that the sequence of quakes will
continue.
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