ITALY’S prime minister has pledged to find temporary housing for 15,000 people left homeless by the country’s strongest quake in 36 years.
There were no deaths or serious injuries after Sunday morning’s 6.6-magnitude tremor in the Apennine mountains.
That was largely because the most fragile city centres had already been closed because of damage from recent tremors and many homes had been vacated.
Relief efforts were complicated in a zone which is still coping with the aftermath of an August quake which killed nearly 300 – and a pair of aftershocks last week which also claimed no lives.
Civil protection officials expect the number of people needing assistance to rise, as it does not include people who made other arrangements or slept in vehicles.
Temperatures overnight fell to near freezing and officials were worried for elderly residents of the mountain towns and villages.
“We cannot have tents for some months in the mountains, under the snow,” PM Matteo Renzi said.
“There are enough hotels for everyone. But many people don’t want to leave their lands, not even for some weeks.”
People have been moved to the coast, where summer resort hotels are mostly idle, and other areas away from the quake. There are reports of residents refusing to leave, believing that if their homes have so far resisted they are the safest place to be.
In the town of Norcia, closest to the epicentre, firefighters were taking people back to their homes to retrieve belongings.
Renzi said the fact there were no deaths “gives us enormous relief”. He added: “The damage to the housing stock, as well as economic, cultural and religious treasures, is impressive.
“These villages are the identity of Italy. We must reconstruct them all, quickly and well.”
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