Italy: sftershocks continue, 229 registered so far

Nearly 6000 people in the regions of Emilia-Romagna and lower Veneto have requested temporary shelters following a 6.0 earthquake that shook the area badly on Sunday, leaving seven dead, said the director of civil protection for Emilia-Romagana, Demetrio Egidi, on Wednesday. Structural safety checks have been carried out by the fire department on 2159 buildings in Emilia, 98% of which have been deemed fit for the inhabitants to return. Aftershocks continue, however, with 229 registered between Sunday and Wednesday, 11 of which were stronger than 4.0. "Tremors are creating anxiety...every time the ground shakes there is a new wave of fear," said Paola Gazzolo, the civil protection councilor for the Emilia-Romagna region. On Tuesday, the Italian government declared a state of emergency for the affected areas, releasing 50 million euros for the immediate recovery efforts. Damage to local industry and agriculture has been estimated between 200-250 million euros so far, destroying at least 10% of the production of Italy's prestigious Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, reported the farmers' association Coldiretti. Sunday's earthquake was the worst in Italy since the 2009 L'Aquila quake that killed 308 people and left 40000 homeless at the time.