Italy Earthquake: Rescuer’s search for survivors

A powerful earthquake hit Amatrice, Italy around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. The earthquake took out homes, shops, and hillsides, killing at least 250 people and injuring hundreds more. The quake had a magnitude of 6.2 and aftershocks continued to jolt regions up to 100 miles away.

Dozens of people remain missing under the piles of rubble, and nearby townspeople are doing their best to find any survivors.

Due to lack of equipment, townspeople and rescuers are finding it hard to continue the rescue operation. They don’t have the proper resources to make it to nearby isolated towns affected by the earthquake.

New equipment such has bulldozers, tractors and farm equipment are starting to reach Amatrice along with the surrounding regions: Umbria, Lazio and Marche. The heavy equipment is allowing rescuers to break down old stone villas and landslide debris.

Past earthquakes have shown rescuers that there are always survivors after the two day mark, and everyone is persistent to keep going and find as many people as possible. Camps have been set up in the surrounding areas to foster those who are homeless and injured.

Amatrice is a popular tourist destination, and along with local townspeople, an unknown number of tourists have been reported missing from the devastating shock. The town’s historic center, with buildings dating back to the Middle Ages have all been destroyed.

A Poland geologist stated that the earthquake was initially caused by the slow, but constant movement of the African Plate toward Europe. The plate is moving northwards at an alarming rate of 2 inches per year.

Rescuers will not give up on the people who are currently reported to be missing, and are hopeful many more survivors will be found.

Facebook has set up a Safety Check feature for people in the area to alert their friends and family that they are safe. To make a donation to the affected towns, use this fund provided by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.