L'Aquila is a city in central Italy with a population of around 70,000 people. The area itself is prone to earthquakes due to the major fault line that runs north-south along the Apennine mountain range, as well as an east-west fault line across the centre of Italy. The fault line themselves are close to the destructive plate margin between the Eurasian and African Plates
The earthquake occurred at 3:32am (local time) on 6th April 2009 and measured 6.3 on the Richter Scale. It only lasted a few seconds however was felt across the whole of Italy. The focus of the earthquake was a depth of about 5 miles and the epicentre was close to L'Aquila and was caused by the north-south fault line. Several aftershocks were felt in the days following the main earthquake some of them measuring as high as 5 on the Richter scale. Impacts: Economic: Its been estimated that the earthquake cost Italy $15 billion in total. Thousands of buildings bith historic and modern were damaged or destroyed, these included parts of the city hospital, a dormitory at the university and L'quila Cathedral. A bridge near the town of Fossa collapsed and a water pipe was broken near rhe town of Paganica. Fires also caused further damaged within already collapsed buildings. Social: There were around 300 deaths, mostly as a result of collapsed buildings, more than 1500 people injured and 70,000 made homeless as a direct result. The aftershocks made rescue efforts very difficult if not impossible and caused further extensive damage. Thousands of people, had to move away from the area to other parts of Italy to find jobs after buildings were destroyed. Environmental Impacts: An area of 1000 km2 was affected by surface ruptures (cracks in the ground), rock falls and landslides. the broken water pipe by the town of Paganica caused a landslide. As well as this wildlife habitats were affected by the earthquake. |
The Responses:
- Camps were set up for homeless people with water, food and medical care - Ambulances, fire engines and the army were sent in to rescue survivors. - Cranes and diggers were used to remove the rubble international teams with rescue dogs were sent in to look for survivors - 12000 rescue and support workers were brought in to help with the response - Money was provided by the government to pay rent. Mortgage payments ad gas and electricity bills were suspended - By the end of 2009, 4500 new buildings had been put in to house 12,000 who had been made homeless Management Strategies that didn't have much effect?: Although L'Aquila itself hadn't suffered from a major earthquake for 300 years, the area around the Apennines experiences regular minor earthquakes. So there were some management strategies in place. However, some of these in regards to the 2009 earthquake didn't seem to have the entire desired effect. Building Techniques: Because of the risks, there were strict building regulations to ensure that newer were designed and built to withstand earthquakes. However some of the newer building that were supposed to meet the regulations had been poorly built and were severely damaged or destroyed. For example, the San Salvatore Hospital in west L'Aquila was built in 2000. It should have been able to withstand the earthquake, but it actually collapsed and patients had to be treated in tents outdoors. An investigation was set up as to why so many of these new buildings collapsed. Prediction: Seismologists were monitoring the area prior to the event. Some people felt that the earthquake hazard could have been managed better. In August 2009, a group of local residents made a formal complaint that six seismologists working in the area didn't predict the earthquake. The residents blamed the scientists for the number of people killed and requested a criminal investigation. However, its currently impossible to predict exactly when and where an earthquake may occur. Planning: Italy has Civil Protection Department that trains volunteers to help with things like rescue missions |