Italy finds quake survivors, but hopes fading

Prime minister declares national emergency, 50,000 may be homeless

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Shaken Italy quake survivors huddle in tents, cars

06 Apr 2009 21:56:37 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Deepa Babington L'AQUILA, Italy, April 6 (Reuters) -

Wrapped in blankets, hundreds of weary survivors in the Italian mountain city of L'Aquila huddled in tents or cars on Monday, their first night since a deadly earthquake forced them to flee their homes.
While firemen and police continued to dig under the rubble of collapsed buildings for survivors, hungry and bleary-eyed residents flocked to open spaces in and around the city to spend the rainy night away from the threat of crumbling buildings.
"There was no way we were going to risk going back to our house even if it was only slightly damaged," said Gianni Festa, 41, who brought his wife and 8-year-old son to a large athletics field for the night. "And I wouldn't take my chances at a hotel either."

Many had spent the evening lying on blankets at the sports field outside the city centre, but by nightfall the steady rain had pushed most of them into large tents set up nearby. In one large white tent, rows of men and women lay bunched together in blankets on makeshift beds or the floor, while some huddled in chairs.
Loud chatter, a bright white light and the noise of a generator ensured a fitful night of sleep for most. Relief workers handed out bottles of water and plastic boxes of sliced ham, pasta and hot dogs, as the rain caused further misery to those left homeless when the earthquake struck the Abruzzo region just after 3:30 am (0130 GMT) on Monday morning.

More than 130 people are confirmed dead and more than 1,500 injured while as many as 50,000 have been left homeless after the quake flattened buildings in 26 towns and villages, officials said. On the other side of town from the athletics field, a few dozen families prepared to spend the night inside their cars parked in a square in front of a church. "It's been such a hard and long day," said Piera Colucci, who sat in her car with her family in the darkness. "Now that we are sitting here in our car, it's all beginning to sink in." (Editing by Tim Pearce)

REUTERS/Chris Helgren (ITALY DISASTER IMAGE OF THE DAY TOP PICTURE)
An Italian police officer walks through the rubble after an earthquake in the Italian village of Onna April 6, 2009. A powerful earthquake struck a huge swath of central Italy as residents slept on Monday morning, killing at least 27 people when thousands of houses, churches and other buildings collapsed or were damaged. REUTERS/Chris Helgren (ITALY DISASTER IMAGE OF THE DAY TOP PICTURE)
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REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (ITALY DISASTER)
People keep warm on the street after an earthquake in downtown Aquila April 6, 2009. A powerful earthquake struck a huge swathe of central Italy as residents slept on Monday morning, killing at least 16 people when houses, churches and other buildings collapsed, officials said. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (ITALY DISASTER)
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