Three major earthquakes yesterday struck a region in central Italy that had already been hit by a deadly seismic event two months ago, but early reports suggested that no one was directly killed or seriously hurt.
A 73-year-old man in the town of Tolentino died of a heart attack which was possibly triggered by shock caused by the event, making him the first indirect casualty of the earthquakes, local news agency ANSA reported, quoting local police.
The first quake of 5.4 magnitude occurred at 7.10pm (1710GMT). The second of 5.9 magnitude followed little more than two hours later and a third of 4.6 magnitude came shortly before midnight. They brought fresh misery to an area about 120 kilometres north-east of Rome.
"All in all, the information we have is not as catastrophic as one might have presumed" after such large shocks, the head of Italy's civil defence agency Fabrizio Curcio told reporters, indicating that "a few dozen" people suffered injuries.
Two or three were immediately hospitalised, while others checked themselves in in various states of distress, but nobody was in a critical condition. "At the moment we haven't detected any serious situation, that's the most important thing," Curcio stressed.
Yesterday's temblors, which were felt in Rome and other places hundreds of kilometres away, had their epicentres close to where a 6-magnitude earthquake struck on August 24, flattening several towns, killing 298 people and leaving thousands homeless.
The mayor of one of the most affected villages, Marco Rinaldi of Ussita, earlier told the SkyTG24 news channel that he was "quite hopeful" about everybody being safe, because people had rushed outside after the first earthquake.
But there was massive devastation, he lamented. "The area of our town is really finished, it is an apocalyptic situation," Rinaldi added.
The mayor of Castelsantangelo sul Nera, another stricken municipality, also spoke to SkyTG24. "For sure there will have been some collapses... it is really tough," he said, adding that rain and temporary power cuts were making it hard to check.
Castelsantangelo sul Nera is about 30 kilometres north of Amatrice, the town that was worst hit by the August tragedy.
Amatrice Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said some buildings that had already sustained damage collapsed after the latest quakes.
"This quake certainly reawakens our fears," Pirozzi told ANSA. "Thank God we have no dead or injured ... believe me, this is what matters," he added later in comments to SkyTG24.
In Camerino, a nearby university town, the belltower of the 17th century Church of Santa Maria in Via collapsed over a nearby building, but no one was believed to be trapped underneath.
A prison in Camerino was evacuated and the inmates were transferred to a different facility, ANSA reported, quoting Camerino mayor Gianluca Pasqui.
Forty people in the town were treated for minor injuries and other health complaints which stemmed from the shock, Pasqui added.
There were also reports of damage to buildings in Rome, and around one hundred emergency calls were made within half an hour after the first shock. Officials at the Foreign Ministry evacuated the building as a safety precaution.
The Salaria highway and train services near the damaged areas were closed, and people were asked to avoid car journeys to keep roads clear for emergency services. Authorities in the surrounding provinces ordered school closures for today.
"I want to thank those who are working under the rain in the earthquake zone. All of Italy embraces the people who have been hit again," Prime Minister Matteo Renzi wrote on Twitter.
Locals' anxiety was exacerbated by dozens of aftershocks: footage showed people screaming and crying over their lost possessions. Makeshift beds were prepared for hundreds of people who fled from their homes.
There was panic during a top league football game in Pescara, a coast town about 100 kilometres away where the second big shock was strongly felt. Crowds started leaving the stadium, and the match was suspended for a few minutes as players were also shaken.
- dpa