Following last night’s earthquake in our nearest city of L’Aquila we’d like to send our thoughts and sympathy to the beautiful people of L’Aquila and all her small surrounding hill & mountain villages.  We hope all help that is needed gets to you as promptly as possible and that the present casualties & fatalities remain low.

It was a dreadful morning listening to the Today programme and trying to get hold of the 3 ladies currently staying within our own house just 30 km from the epicentre.  Thankfully we have just managed to and they and our neighbours in the village of Bascianella seem to be okay so that is some good news on a very sad day.  Superficial damage that has occurred is with glass lampshades being shaken off the walls and smashing.

Over the past week has seen an increase in the seismic activity in the region, last week when we were back in Abruzzo we experienced an earthquake, again with L’Aquila as its epicentre but registering at only 4 on the Richter Scale.  Everyone we met at the time joked and laughed it off, regretfully nothing like that will be happening after yesterday. All we can do is hope that this is the last for another few hundred years.

Map of the Devastation

If you are trying to work out if your loved ones have been affected by the quake, there is 3 very good maps here displaying the epicentre and surrounding villages most affected by the earthquake and the ongoing tremors and their magnitude

Map 1 – Interactive Google map of each earthquake & tremor & which of the smaller Abruzzo hill villages it has hit, these are still occurring!

Map 2 – Again a Google map, sadly it lists the number of fatalities in each area, what has been set up to help the victims of the disaster.

On ANSA (Italian News agency which is also in English) there is a list of the damage and fatalities to the surrounding villages.

Up-to-the Minute Report of New Tremors & Aftershocks

To see exactly where the  new tremors and aftershocks are occurring there is a very good report by National Institute of Vulcanology & Geology which is updated by the minute.

Click here to read in full how to help L’Aquila or  volunteer, click here for fundraising

Finding out about Relatives –

Official List of Victims – An official list of the 289 victims of the L’Aquila earthquake has been published today Friday 10th April to coincide with the funeral – click here

It is easier to email Abruzzo’s  Civil Protection using this form if you are outside Italy.  If you are in Italy call 800861016 and 800860146.  Alternatively anyone from any of the surrounding hill villages please do leave a comment here to let you know how your village is doing – we are receiving lots of emails about you and it is a quick way of letting people quickly know that all is okay.

Travelling – If you are travelling to see loved ones.  The A24 (the main autostrada that connects L’Aquila with Rome and the Adriatic coast) is currently closed whilst the engineers check its bridges & tunnels for structural damage, you will need to look for alternative ways to approach L’Aquila if you are going to check  family.

Author: Roddy Newlands

Roddy Newlands is an Associate Member of Life In Abruzzo, as well as antique book dealer and web and graphic designer. Abruzzo allows him to get his mountain-air fix, & satisfy his passion for pasta & panettone.