Earthquake case study - Italy

Place: L'Aquila, Italy

Date: 6th April, 2009

Size: 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale

Italy = HIC (high income country)

• Around 300 deaths - mostly from collapsed buildings
• 1500 people were injured
• Tens of thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed
• Over 60,000 people became homeless

• Aftershocks obstructed rescue efforts - more damage
• Fires in some collapsed buildings - more damage
• The broken water pipe near the town of Paganica caused a landslide
• Electricity and phone services were interrupted - but most were repaired within a day

• Camps set up for people made homeless - they provided food, water and medical care
• Ambulances, fire engines and the army were sent in to rescue survivors
• Cranes and diggers used to remove rubble
• Money provided by government to pay rent - gas and electricity bills were suspended

• New settlements built to accomodate over 20,000 residents (who lived in the damaged city centre)
• Most of the city centre being rebuilt 
• Investigation on why modern buildings weren't built to withstand earthquakes