Earthquake Strikes Northern Italy

UPDATE: One day after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake killed at least seven people in Northern Italy and left thousands of survivors stranded, the region was hit by an aftershock Monday morning.

CNN is reporting that Monday morning's aftershock caused buildings to sway in the town of Finale Emilia. The tremor had a magnitude of 3.2 and hit near the site of the original quake, according to the Italian Seismic Service.

The head of Italy's Civil Protection Department, Franco Gabrielli, said 11,000 people had been displaced by the first quake around 4 a.m. (10 p.m. Saturday ET) on Sunday morning.

The government put 3,000 people up in tents or hotels, but could not shelter everyone who was displaced.

 

CNN and other sources are reporting that a strong earthquake struck northern Italy early Sunday, leaving at least seven people dead.

The magnitude 6.0 quake struck about 4 a.m. (10 p.m. Saturday ET). In a statement from his office, Prime Minister Mario Monti said he has designated the head of Italy's civil protection agency to lead his government's response to the disaster.

The quake's epicenter was about 2.4 miles outside Camposanto, northwest of Bologna, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition to the deaths, at least 50 people were injured and possibly thousands of people have been displaced. A tower of Castello Estense (pictured), a moated medieval structure in the center of Ferrara, was reportedly damaged in the earthquake, and another medieval tower in Finale Emilia collapsed.

Stay tuned to TravelAgentCentral.com for more information.

 

Photograph courtesy of Ferra Terra e Acqua