According to a New York Times story, earthquakes, including one estimated at 6.2 magnitude, have struck the towns of Amatrice and Accumoli in Italy's Rieti province and Pescara del Tronto in Ascoli Piceno province. In the latter town, two people were killed. The mayor of Accumoli Amatrice declared that "half the town no longer exists." The towns lie about 100 miles (160 km) from Rome.
takyon: BBC. USGS: M6.2 and M5.5.
Update: Death toll revised up to 120.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Wednesday August 24 2016, @09:51AM
It was the mayor of Amatrice who said "half the town no longer exists."
(Score: 2) by martyb on Wednesday August 24 2016, @12:34PM
Yes, it was. And... corrected! Thanks for pointing it out!
Wit is intellect, dancing.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by FatPhil on Wednesday August 24 2016, @02:55PM
Beautiful region, lovely countryside, and lovely villages there too (I visited Sulmona only months after the L'Aquila quakes); lets hope the Italian government directs all that lovely EU money that we tax payers contribute in the appropriate direction for short-term aid and eventual restoration work. Shit, I just read what I wrote, and realised how stupid it was.
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_L%27Aquila_earthquake#Controversy_on_reconstruction_and_criminality )
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves