On April 6, 2009, the residents of Abruzzo, a region in central Italy, were awakened at 6:27am with an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale. The medieval city of L’Aquila suffered extensive damage when the tremor caused the collapse of thousands of buildings, both old and new.
Homes in the nearby valleys were damaged and many streets were blocked by fallen masonry. The village of Onna, located six miles from L’Aquila, was hit the worst by the quake. There were 38 people crushed to death when their stone and mortar homes collapsed. The earthquake was also felt in Rome
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported; “At least 287 people killed, 1,000 injured, 40,000 homeless and 10,000 buildings damaged or destroyed in the L'Aquila area.”
Several aftershocks plagued the region, with one shock registering 5.3 on the Richter scale. The continuous tremors caused the collapse of more buildings that were already weakened during the previous quake. Since January 2009, at least one hundred minor tremors occurred in central Italy.
Cause of the L’Aquila Earthquake
The Apennine mountain range in Italy was formed by the subduction or slipping under of the Adria plate. It is wedged between two seismic areas. The first location is where the Eurasia and Africa continental plates are colliding in the north as evidenced by the Alpine mountains. The second location is at the opening of the Tyrrhenian basin to the west.
The earthquake on April 6, 2009, was a result of normal fault activity along the Apennine mountain belt. The opening at the Tyrrhenian accelerated and upset the balance in the compression between the Africa and Eurasia plates.
Earthquake activity in the central Apennine area is not new. One of the most significant events was the Umbria-Marche earthquake series. In 1997, from September to November, there was a series of earthquakes and at least eight of the events had a magnitude greater that 5.0. There were 11 people killed and thousands of homes destroyed.
Damage Caused by the 2009 L’Aquila Earthquake
In addition to thousands of homes being reduced to piles of rubble, many ancient landmark buildings in L’Aquila were damaged.
- The third floor of the National Museum of Abruzzo collapsed. It was located in the 16th-century castle, Forte Spagnolo.
- The dome collapsed on the church of St Augustine and caused damage to L’Aquila city archives. This church had been rebuilt in the 18th century after being destroyed by an earthquake.
- In the Cathedral of L’Aquila, part of the side wing or transept collapsed. The sanctuary or apse of the Basilica Saint Bernardino of Siena suffered extensive damage and the bell tower or campanile collapsed.
- The rear area of the Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio and most of the dome at the church of Santa Maria del Suffragio crumbled.
Building Construction Controversy in L’Aquila
Some of the newer buildings in L’Aquila were damaged, though they were built according to earthquake standards. A dormitory at the University of L’Aquila collapsed. The new wing of L’Aquila Hospital suffered extensive damage and was closed down.
Authorities were questioning the standard of the materials and the methods used in the construction of buildings that were built according to seismic standards.
According to a news report posted by CTV News on April 11, 2009, prosecutor Alfredo Rossini started an investigation as to who should be held responsible for the crumbling buildings. Rossini issued a statement to the Repubblica, a daily newspaper in Rome. He said “We have the duty to verify whether some buildings were really constructed out of sand, as has been indicated from several sources, or in other cases without steel.”
There was a state funeral held on Good Friday, April 10, 2009 presided by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the second highest official in the Vatican.
At the Group of Eight (G8) summit in July 2009, leaders of participating countries pledged their financial support to rebuild the Abruzzo region.
Related Articles on Earthquakes:
Great Sichuan Earthquake May 2008
Mexico Earthquake September 1985
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