Italy once again shaken by earthquakes
ADVERTISEMENTCentral Italy has been hit by a series of earthquakes exacerbated by an ongoing coldsnap.
Amatrice, destroyed in a fatal earthquake that left around 300 dead in August, was once again shaken to the core.
Snow covers areas damaged by the #ItalyEarthquakeshttps://t.co/HQVYa8WSF3pic.twitter.com/jcNwb19bJM
— YouTube Newswire (@ytnewswire) January 6, 2017
Residents have taken to the streets to call for central government help to accelerate the reconstruction process.
The latest tremors hit the three neighbouring regions of, Abruzzo, Lazio and Marche.
Schools have been closed and the Rome underground shut as a safety precaution.
The area, north of the capital, has suffered a number of earthquakes in recent times and seismologists believe a further disaster could soon strike the region.
Pope Francis meets with survivors of central Italy’s earthquakes https://t.co/ERCu9TX1srpic.twitter.com/eof3Hksc5X
— CatholicNewsIreland (@CathNewsIreland) January 5, 2017
Scientists have long known that the central Italy is vulnerable to tremors because the region is being stretched in a north-east/south-west direction at a rate estimated at 3mm per year.
Why are there so many #earthquakes in Italy? https://t.co/h94xWl8JAFpic.twitter.com/xy9tE34H76
— Horizon Magazine (@HorizonMagEU) December 9, 2016
This is due to the separation of the subterranean tectonic plates on which Italy sits.