Content area
Full Text
RESCUE workers were still scrambling yesterday to find survivors of the powerful earthquake that rocked central Italy on Monday, killing at least 179 people and leaving thousands homeless, seeking shelter in hastily built tent cities.
With nightfall and driving rain hampering the search, emergency services said 100 people had been pulled alive from the rubble in the historic town of L'Aquila.
The Government has estimated that up to 70,000 have been left homeless by the quake, which measured magnitude 6.2 and which damaged 10,000 buildings, many beyond repair.
The epicentre was under L'Aquila and massive destruction was reported for 30km in all directions. The nearby villages of Villa Sant'Angelo and Borgo di Castelnuovo were practically wiped out.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared a state of emergency, saying at least 1500 people had been injured...