Tag Archives: Italian Earthquake

Immediate Vault

Authorities Examine Hotel Owner’s Request for Help Before Italian Avalanche

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avalanche barriers
As the search for survivors at an Italian hotel buried during an avalanche continues, an investigation has been launched into a distress call and emails for help by the hotel’s owner. Triggered by a series of earthquakes, the avalanche claimed the lives of at least 14 people, with 15 still missing, according to reports. A staff of eight and 20 guests were reported to have been at the hotel at the time.

Bruno Di Tommaso, owner of hotel Rigopiano, a popular ski resort, reportedly sent an email asking for help from authorities in the nearby town of Pescara.

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“The phones are out of service. Customers are terrified by the earthquakes and have decided to stay outdoors. We tried to do everything possible to calm them but, unable to leave because of blocked roads, they are willing to spend the night in the car,” his email read.

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“With our shovels we were able to clean the driveway, from the gate to the SS42 (state road). Aware of the general difficulties, we ask you to intervene.”

The UK’s Telegraph reported that prosecutors in Pescara have opened an investigation into the situation, questioning why there was no attempt to evacuate the hotel. Investigators looking into possible manslaughter charges are examining Di Tommaso’s email.

According to the Telegraph:

Authorities had reportedly promised to send a snow plow to clear the road to the hotel on Wednesday afternoon, but its arrival was constantly postponed and in the end it did not turn up at all, amid reports that some snow plow in the region were out of service while others had been dispatched to other emergencies.

There have already been claims that when the alarm was first raised, by a man who survived the avalanche by luck because he was collecting medicine from his car, his pleas for help were initially rebuffed by emergency services.

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The quakes struck near Amatrice, one of the towns destroyed in August by an earthquake that left almost 300 people dead and thousands homeless.

Italy’s Devastation

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The death toll seems to jump every few minutes. From 30 early this morning, to 40 just a few minutes ago, to “more than 90” at the time this post is written.

Hopefully, it will climb no higher.

The epicenter of the 6.3 magnitude earthquake was in L’Aquila, a picturesque town approximately 95 miles east of Rome. Officials stated that 40,000 to 50,000 people had been left homeless in the area, also known as the Abruzzo Region. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has declared a state of emergency in the area.

It has been reported that several historic sites have been damaged or destroyed by this morning’s quake, taking away hundreds of years of history in just a few moments. These aging sites are oftentimes difficult to insure since the design and construction of historical buildings invariably makes them more vulnerable to damage and more expensive to repair. Two of the few insurers who do offer historical property insurance here in the U.S. are Fireman’s Fund and National Trust Insurance Services, though historic property policy rates are certainly higher than rates for your average property insurance.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the last two major earthquakes to hit the area were devastating as well. In 1997, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck just 50 miles from this morning’s quake, killing 11, injuring more than 100 and destroying 80,000 homes. In 1980, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurred 150 miles southeast of L’Aquila, killing 2,483 people.

In response to the ever-present danger of earthquakes and the widespread damage they produce, catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide released its Global Earthquake Model (GEM), to be used to assess seismic risk. “GEM will be the critical instrument to support decisions and actions that reduce earthquake losses worldwide,” said Dr. Ross Stein, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and GEM co-founder.

Though GEM is still in its infant stages, hopes are that it will someday be able to prevent or lessen the losses, both human and property, we see in Italy today.

 

(United States Geological Survey)

(United States Geological Survey)