News

A strong earthquake has struck central Italy on Wednesday, August 24, bringing down buildings in mountainous zones, destroying villages, trapping residents and sending others fleeing into the streets. By the last information received, at least 38 people are believed to have been killed.

The quake caused serious damage to a number of towns and villages, but does not seem to have hit heavily populated areas, in spite of the fact that it happened in the early morning, when people are still at home before starting the day.

The earthquake caused damage to towns in three regions - Umbria, Lazio and Marche. The U.S. Geological Survey, which measured a 6.2 magnitude, places the epicenter near the Umbrian city of Norcia, which has a picturesque historic centre and is a major tourist site. The worst affected towns are believed to be Accumoli, Amatrice, Posta and Arquata del Tronto.

The rescue taskforces started immediately and many agents are exploring the whole area affected by the earthquake. Police are prudent in their report, giving only certified figures about deaths in the nearby villages.
Also, the town's hospital has been badly damaged, with patients moved into the streets.

The local Seventh-Day Adventist (Adventists) pastor, Daniele Benini, is already in contact with the authorities to offer ADRA  (Adventisat Development and Relief Agency) support.  “We are exploring the situation regarding our members,” he said, “and right now we have no news that our members were physically affected by the earthquake. We are evaluating the material disaster and elaborating a strategy to give our support.”

Very quickly after the cataclysm, on Facebook, many church members have exchanged information on their health status and the general situation.

“We are sorry for the victims, and hope strongly their number will remain low,” said Corrado Cozzi, Adventist Communications Director, “and we pray for those who have been upset by the ‘aggression’ of this cataclysm.”

We are within hours of the disaster; before us lays a long day of intense work.
Within a short time, we will send a press release coming from Italy.