An earthquake occurred in the region of Abruzzo, in central Italy, at 03:32 CEST (01:32 UTC) on 6 April 2009. It was rated 5.8 or 5.9 on the Richter scale and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale;[9] its epicentre was near L'Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo, which together with surrounding villages suffered the most damage. There were several thousand foreshocks and aftershocks since December 2008, more than thirty of which had a Richter magnitude greater than 3.5.[9]
The earthquake was felt throughout central Italy; 308 people are known to have died,[6] making this the deadliest earthquake to hit Italy since the 1980 Irpinia earthquake. In a subsequent inquiry of the handling of the disaster, seven members of the Italian National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks were accused of giving "inexact, incomplete and contradictory" information about the danger of the tremors prior to the main quake.[10][11] On 22 October 2012, six scientists and one ex-government official were convicted of multiple manslaughter for downplaying the likelihood of a major earthquake six days before it took place. They were each sentenced to six years' imprisonment,[10][11][12] but the verdict was overturned on 10 November 2014.[13] Criticism was also applied to poor building standards that led to the failure of many modern buildings in a known earthquake zone: an official at Italy's Civil Protection Agency, Franco Barberi, said that "in California, an earthquake like this one would not have killed a single person".[14] in April 2022 the reconstruction was at 72% in L'Aquila city and in the region hit by the 2009 earthquake.[15]
The earthquake occurred at 03:32 CEST (01:32 UTC) at the relatively shallow depth of 9.46 kilometres (5.88mi) and with an epicentre at 42.3476°N, 13.3800°E,[1] approximately 90 kilometres (60mi) north-east of Rome, near the city of L'Aquila.[18] The earthquake was reported to measure 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale.[16]
Historical context
Earthquakes mark the history of L'Aquila, a city built on the bed of an ancient lake, providing a soil structure that amplifies seismic waves. The city was struck by earthquakes in 1315, 1349, 1452, 1501, 1646, 1703, 1706 and 1958.[19] The earthquake of February 1703, which caused devastation across much of central Italy, largely destroyed the city and killed around 5,000 people.[20] In addition, a 1915 earthquake that killed more than 30,000 people and obliterated almost every building in Avezzano and several villages around it happened within 35 kilometres (22mi) from L'Aquila.
The earthquake caused damage to between 3,000 and 11,000 buildings in the medieval city of L'Aquila.[33] Several buildings also collapsed. A total of 308 people died in the earthquake,[6] including five Macedonians,[34] five Romanians,[22] two Ukrainians,[24][25] two Czechs,[23] a Greek,[26] a Moldovan,[35] a Peruvian,[30] an Argentinian,[29] a French,[27] and an Israeli, and approximately 1,500 people were injured. Twenty of the victims were children.[36] Around 66,000 people were rendered homeless.[8]
The main earthquake was preceded by two smaller earthquakes the previous day.[33] The earthquake was felt as far away as Rome (92 kilometres (57mi) away), in other parts of Lazio, as well as Marche, Molise, Umbria and Campania. Schools remained closed in the Abruzzo region. Most of the inhabitants of L'Aquila abandoned their homes and the city itself; in the city centre of L'Aquila, and the nearby village of Paganica which was also badly damaged, many streets were impassable due to fallen masonry. The hospital at L'Aquila, where many of the victims were brought, suffered damage in the 4.8 aftershock which followed the main earthquake an hour later. Powerful aftershocks, some only slightly weaker than the main shock, were felt throughout the following 2 days.
Villages in the valley along Strada Statale 17 just outside l'Aquila suffered the greatest damage while medieval mountain hill towns lying high above the valley suffered little damage. Onna was reported to be mostly leveled with 38 deaths among the 350 residents.[37] The villages of Villa Sant'Angelo and Borgo di Castelnuovo were badly damaged.[38] Fatalities were reported in Poggio Picenze, Tornimparte, Fossa, Totani, San Gregorio and San Pio delle Camere.[39]
Many of L'Aquila's medieval buildings were damaged. The apse of the Basilica of Saint Bernardino of Siena, L'Aquila's largest Renaissance church, was seriously damaged, and its campanile collapsed. Almost the whole dome of the 18th-century church of Anime Sante in Piazza Duomo fell down. The 13th-century Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio collapsed from the transept to the back of the church, and Porta Napoli, the oldest gate to the city, was destroyed. The third floor of Forte Spagnolo, the 16th-century castle housing the National Museum of Abruzzo, collapsed, as did the cupola of the 18th-century Baroque church of St Augustine, damaging L'Aquila's state archives. This church had been rebuilt after it was destroyed in the 1703 earthquake.[40] The Cathedral of L'Aquila has lost part of its transept and maybe more with the effects of the aftershocks. Slight damage was also reported to the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, but other Roman monuments such as the Colosseum and Roman Forum were unharmed.[41]
The damaged Santa Maria Church in the town of Paganica
While most of l'Aquila's medieval structures suffered damage, many of its modern buildings suffered the greatest damage, for instance, a dormitory at the university of l'Aquila collapsed. Even some buildings that were believed to be "earthquake-proof" were damaged. L'Aquila Hospital's new wing, which opened in 2000 and was thought capable of resisting almost any earthquake, suffered extensive damage and had to be closed.
Homeless camps
Around 40,000 people who were made homeless by the earthquake found accommodation in tented camps[8] and a further 10,000 were housed in hotels on the coast.[42] Others sought shelter with friends and relatives throughout Italy. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi caused a controversy when he said, in an interview to the German station n-tv, that the homeless victims should consider themselves to be on a "camping weekend" – "They have everything they need, they have medical care, hot food... Of course, their current lodgings are a bit temporary. But they should see it like a weekend of camping."[43] To clarify his thought, he also told the people in a homeless camp: "Head to the beach. It's Easter. Take a break. We're paying for it, you'll be well looked after."[44] The billionaire prime minister claimed he will offer his own house to some of the survivors.[45]
Building standards
Poor building standards or construction materials seem to have further contributed to the large number of victims. According to firefighters and other rescuers, some concrete elements of the fallen buildings "seemed to have been made poorly, possibly with sand".[46] An official at Italy's Civil Protection Agency, Franco Barberi, said that "in California, an earthquake like this one would not have killed a single person".[14] According to Italian media, L'Aquila's chief prosecutor has opened a probe into possible criminal blame for the collapses.[47]
Luminous phenomena
Many people reported seeing peculiar sightings of light glows, flashes, lightning, flames and fireballs, all of which were considered candidates for earthquake light.[48][49] 241 luminous phenomena were collected including photos and videos. At least 99 of such phenomena occurred before the main shock and other strong events of the seismic sequence, whereas globular lights, luminous clouds and diffused light were more frequent before the quakes. Flashes were mostly observed during the main shock. Electrical discharges and flames were observed principally after the main shock. Many luminous events were observed before and after the main shock without the ground shaking and were very similar to those reported about two centuries ago. An earthquake alarm system has been proposed, based on a video sensing network to capture earthquake light and provide a warning if observations match threshold characteristics preceding a main shock.[50]
Aftershocks
Magnitude of L'Aquila earthquake and aftershocks
The epicentral region saw dozens of significant aftershocks following the main earthquake. The strongest, which hit at 19:47 CEST on 7 April, measured magnitude 5.3 ML and caused further damage.[51] According to the Italian National Geophysics Institute director Boschi, the aftershock epicentres migrated south-east, thus lessening the risk of further major shocks near populated areas.
Aftershocks caused safety problems for rescue crews searching for injured victims trapped in precarious structures in the historic center of L'Aquila, a medieval city. Using cranes and backhoes to remove loose bricks and broken timbers, the crews were aware that any aftershock could have triggered the collapse of seriously damaged walls or parapets.
The aftershocks also caused sustained psychological trauma to small children and elderly who had already been traumatized by the main earthquake of 6 April 2009. Aware of this, the Italian government temporarily relocated thousands of citizens away from the epicentral area.
As a result of aftershocks, the dome of the Anime Sante Basilica in L'Aquila, already heavily damaged by the main shock, almost entirely collapsed. Further buildings collapsed in L'Aquila and in neighbouring municipalities. The largest aftershock was strong enough to be felt in Rome, where it caused an elderly man to die of cardiac arrest.[52]
List of foreshocks and aftershocks
Only shocks with local magnitude 4.0 or higher are listed. There have been dozens of small magnitude aftershocks, ML 1–3, but these generally do not cause further structural damage. Shocks with local magnitude 5.0 or higher are highlighted in blue, and the main shock is highlighted in darker blue.[53]
Many Italian companies have offered some sort of help. All Italian mobile companies (Telecom Italia Mobile,[54]Vodafone Italy,[55]Wind,[citation needed]H3G[citation needed]), and some Mobile virtual network operators,[56] sent free minutes and credit to all their pre-paid customers in Abruzzo, suspended billing to all post-paid customers and extended their coverage with additional mobile base stations to cover homeless camps. In addition, some companies sent free mobile phones, SIM Cards and chargers for those who lost their mobiles, and set up a national unique number to send donations to, by placing a call or sending an SMS. Poste Italiane sent to homeless camps some mobile units acting as Postal Office, to allow people to withdraw money from their accounts as well as their retirement.[57] Many companies, such as pay-tv SKY Italia, suspended billing to all customers in Abruzzo, and offered some decoders to homeless camps to allow them to follow the funerals and the news.[58]Ferrovie dello Stato offered railway sleeping carriages to host some homeless people, and offered free tickets to all people and students living in Abruzzo. AISCAT (Associazione Italiana Società Concessionarie Autostrade e Trafori) declared that all toll-roads in Abruzzo would be free of charge.[59] All tax billing for all Abruzzo residents has been suspended by the government, as well as mortgage payments.
Italian laboratory technician Giampaolo Giuliani claimed to have predicted[79] a major earthquake on Italian television a month before,[80][81][82] after measuring increased levels of radon emitted from the ground. He was accused of being alarmist[82] by the Director of the Civil Defence, Guido Bertolaso, and forced to remove his findings from the Internet (old data and descriptions are still online).[83] He was also reported to police a week before the main quake for "causing fear" among the local population when the mayor of Sulmona claimed that Giuliani predicted an imminent earthquake in his town,[84] about 50km (31mi) from L'Aquila, on 30 March, after a 4° quake happened (Sulmona later only suffered minor damages from 6 April earthquake).[85] Enzo Boschi, the head of the Italian National Geophysics Institute declared:
Every time there is an earthquake there are people who claim to have predicted it. As far as I know nobody predicted this earthquake with precision. It is not possible to predict earthquakes.[86]
In the days following the tragedy, journalists reported that the reconstruction works may have been infiltrated by criminal organizations, with the Mafia and Camorra trying to infiltrate the contract procedures.
On 7 April, a few hours after the main earthquake, journalist Luca Spinelli stated:[88]
The transfers of money necessitated by such a big tragedy are huge: much the same as the cost of running a war. [...] Any company would be interested in a turnover and a potential income like this. Surely the "main Italian company" will be: a company with a ninety billion annual income, making up to 7% of Italian GDP (Gross Domestic Product): the Mafia. [...] Abruzzo and Marsica are known territories of the mafia. A region which "attracted the attention of some Camorra and Sacra Corona Unita associates too", according to Franco Forgione, President of the Parliamentary Antimafia Commission in 2007. A region which, according to the Antimafia District Public Prosecutor's Office of L'Aquila, hosts part of the hidden treasure of mafia boss Vito Ciancimino, reckoned to be around 600 million euros, a region which has seen many recent arrests for mafia infiltration; infiltration in contracts, building permits, the health system, the very things that will be needed for the reconstruction.
The week following the earthquake, on 14 April, journalist and writer Roberto Saviano, author of the bestseller Gomorrah, wrote:[89]
Data demonstrates that the Camorra invasion (in Abruzzo) during these years was enormous. In 2006 it emerged that the ambush against mafia boss Vitale was decided and settled in detail at Villa Rosa in Martinsicuro. On 10 September, Diego León Montoya Sánchez, the drug dealer deemed among the ten most wanted by the FBI, had one of his bases in Abruzzo. Nicola di Villano, cashier in a criminal-entrepreneurial organisation led by the Zagaria family of Casapesenna, repeatedly managed to escape capture and it was discovered that his shelter was located in the Abruzzo National Park, where he had the ability to move freely. Abruzzo has become a junction point for waste traffic. [...] Behind it all, obviously, the Camorra clans.
In the following weeks, even major Italian institutions talked about the danger of criminal infiltration, noting that these risks would have been avoided with adequate supervision and inspections. On 15 April, President of the Chamber of DeputiesGianfranco Fini confirmed the need to "watch out for mafia infiltrations".[90]
On 17 April, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, stated: "Exploitation will be impossible, we will reconstruct within 6 months keeping out exploitation and the mafia."[91]
State funeral
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone presides over the state funeral ceremony
On the morning of 10 April 2009, which was also Good Friday, a state funeral was held for 205 of the 291 victims of the earthquake. It was attended by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano, and many other politicians and church dignitaries.[92] The funeral Mass was led by the Vatican's second highest official, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. The Vatican had earlier granted a special dispensation to hold a Mass on Good Friday, the only day on the Roman Catholic calendar on which Mass is not normally held.[93] Near the end, an Islamic rite was held for the Muslim victims. In addition Friday was declared a national day of mourning, with flags flying at half staff, shops lowering their shutters and flights stopping at the airport for one minute of silence.[94]
Pope Benedict XVI later visited the areas affected by the L'Aquila earthquake on 28 April 2009.[95]
A trial, which lasted from September 2011 until October 2012, found six scientists and a former government official guilty of involuntary manslaughter.[101] According to the prosecution, they had spread "inaccurate, incomplete and contradictory" statements after preliminary tremors could be felt on the days before 6 April 2009. While scientists were found guilty for failing to give adequate warning,[102] the full text of the decision said that "science [was] not being tried for failing to predict the April 6, 2009 earthquake" ("Non è sottoposta a giudizio la scienza per non-essere riuscita a prevedere il terremoto del 6 aprile 2009").[103] The seven members of the National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks who were convicted were: Franco Barberi, head of Serious Risks Commission; Enzo Boschi, former president of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology; Giulio Lorenzo Selvaggi, director of National Earthquake Centre; Gian Michele Calvi, director of European Centre for Earthquake Engineering; Claudio Eva, physicist; Mauro Dolce, director of the Civil Protection Agency's earthquake risk office; Bernardo De Bernardinis, former vice-president of Civil Protection Agency's technical department.[10]
Boschi had called a major earthquake "unlikely", while not entirely excluding the possibility. De Bernardinis had informed the public that there was "no danger".[11] The prosecutors cited a scientific opinion that the low-level tremors ahead of 6 April quake were typical of the seismic activity preceding major convulsions, but the defendants had classified them as a "normal geological phenomenon".[12] They were criticised in court for being "falsely reassuring" and Judge Marco Billi gave them a six-year jail sentence on 22 October 2012,[10] reasoning that they had provided "an assessment of the risks that was incomplete, inept, unsuitable, and criminally mistaken".[103][104] They were also banned from ever holding public office again and had to pay court costs and damages.
Enzo Boschi, one of the convicted, said, "I thought I would have been acquitted. I still don't understand what I was convicted of."[10] His co-defendant Claudio Eva said that "it was a very Italian and medieval decision."[105] Their lawyers announced they would appeal the verdict, and it will not be finally decided until it is heard by the appellate court.
The verdicts were strongly criticised by the British media and public.[10] The journal Nature ran an editorial stating that the "verdict is perverse and the sentence ludicrous."[106] Malcolm Sperrin, a British scientist, said:
If the scientific community is to be penalised for making predictions that turn out to be incorrect, or for not accurately predicting an event that subsequently occurs, then scientific endeavour will be restricted to certainties only, and the benefits that are associated with findings, from medicine to physics, will be stalled.[10]
This position was countered by other views. David Ropeik, writing for Scientific American, contested the "trial against science" thesis, describing it as "a judgment not against science, but against a failure of science communication".[107]
During the trial, other scientists attacked the scientific conduct of the commission. Professor Francesco Giovanni Maria Stoppa, a member of the commission until 2003, said: "They should have given information proportional to our knowledge, which in 2009 spotlighted a criticality in L'Aquila. Under those conditions, there were 5–6 days before the quake to give information, and this doesn't mean forecasting earthquakes."[108]
In protest over the prison sentences handed to his seven colleagues, Luciano Maiani, the head of Italy's disaster body, resigned.[109]
In November 2014, the scientists' convictions were quashed by an appeals court, except for Bernardo De Bernardinis, whose sentence was reduced.[110][111] The result of this appeal was definitively confirmed by the Italian Supreme Court, Corte di Cassazione, on 20 November 2015.[112][113][114]
↑ Falconi, Marta (7 April 2009). "Strong quake in Italy kills over 150, wounds 1,500". The Guardian. London. Associated Press. Giuliani said Monday that he was placed under investigation by prosecutors for causing alarm after he sent warnings of a pending quake in the Sulmona area
↑ "G8: Italy wants to move summit to L'Aquila". ANSA – Political and Economic News Service / English Media Service. L'Aquilia: Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata. ANSA. 23 April 2009. 2009-04-23_123348249 $BL14334, 2009-04-23_123348236 WPE40114; FactivaANSAPE0020090423e54n0036g, ANSAEN0020090423e54n000dx.
↑ Fitzgerald, Erin; Yun, Sarah (23 July 2009). "The Advent of the G14". FPIF Commentary. Foreign Policy in Focus. Washington, DC: Inter-Hemispheric Resource Center Press. ISSN1524-1939. ProQuest209937892.
↑ Agnew, Paddy (4 July 2009). "Picking up the pieces: in L'Aquila". The Irish Times. Dublin, Ireland. p.4. ProQuest309164356.
↑ Scientific American The l'Aquila Verdict. A Judgment Not Against Science, but Against A Failure of Science Communication
↑ «Avrebbero dovuto dare una informazione proporzionata alle nostre conoscenze, che nel 2009 mettevano in luce una criticità all'Aquila. Nelle condizioni che c'erano 5 – 6 giorni prima del terremoto bisognava dare informazioni e questo non-vuol dire prevedere i terremoti» Il CapoluogoArchived 16 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila, Italy. As of 2024, it has a population of 69,902 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valley of the Aterno river, it is surrounded by the Apennine Mountains, with the Gran Sasso d'Italia to the north-east.
The province of L'Aquila is the largest, most mountainous and least densely populated province of the Abruzzo region of Italy. It comprises about half the landmass of Abruzzo and occupies the western part of the region. It has borders with the provinces of Teramo to the north, Pescara and Chieti to the east, Isernia to the south and Frosinone, Rome and Rieti to the west. Its capital is the city of L'Aquila.
Fossa is a comune and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy. Bernardino of Fossa was born in the town. The 2009 L'Aquila earthquake contributed to the collapse of a bridge in Fossa, and caused extensive damage to the residential buildings in the town. The town was the epicentre of a major aftershock 5.4 Mw on April 7, 2009.
Pescina is a township and comune in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, central Italy. It is a part of the mountain community Valle del Giovenco.
Paganica is a hillside town in the province of L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy. located at 669 meters above sea level, at the foot of the Gran Sasso d'Italia, about 7 kilometers east of the historic center, along the state road 17 bis that from Bazzano climbs to Campo Imperatore passing for Tempèra, Camarda, Assergi and Fonte Cerreto, with a population of about 10 000 inhabitants, making it the largest fraction of the city, as well as of considerable economic importance. It is a frazione of the comune of L'Aquila, and has a population of about 5,000.
The 1980 Irpinia earthquake took place in Italy on 23 November 1980, with a moment magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). It left at least 2,483 people dead, at least 7,700 injured, and 250,000 homeless.
The 1976 Friuli earthquake, also known in Italy as Terremoto del Friuli, occurred on 6 May 1976, at 21:00:13 with a moment magnitude of 6.5 and a maximum EMS intensity of X. The shock occurred in the Friuli region in northeast Italy near the town of Gemona del Friuli. 990 people were killed, up to about 3,000 were injured, and more than 157,000 were left homeless.
The 1997 Umbria and Marche earthquake occurred in the regions of Umbria and Marche, central Italy on the morning of 26 September. It was preceded by a foreshock almost as strong as the main quake. The foreshock occurred at 02:33 CEST, rated Mw5.7, and the second – the main shock – occurred at 11:40 CEST, rated Mw 6.0. Their epicentre was in Annifo. The mainshock was assigned X (Extreme) and foreshock VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli intensity scale.
San Gregorio is a village in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of L'Aquila. It sits 584 meters above sea level at the base of Monte Manicola. The village of San Gregorio is 12.11 kilometers from the town of L'Aquila, of which it is considered a suburb community. Italy's SS17 Highway is its main transportation artery. The village sits near an active earthquake fault zone in the Valley of the Aterno-Pescara.
The 1985 Rapel Lake earthquake occurred on 8 April at 21:56:59 local time with a moment magnitude of 7.2 and a maximum perceived intensity of VI (Strong). The shock was centered 75 kilometres (47 mi) southwest of Santiago, Chile, with a focal depth of 37.8 km (23 mi).
The 1920 Garfagnana earthquake occurred on 7 September in Garfagnana and Lunigiana, both agricultural areas in the Italian Tuscany region. The quake hypocenter was located 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) beneath Villa Collemandina. The maximum felt intensity was rated as X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale, and 6.6 on the Richter scale. It was one of the most destructive seismic events recorded in the Apenninic region in the twentieth century. Due to good news coverage, availability of official documents on the damage and abundance of recordings from surveillance stations throughout Europe, it was regarded as a first-rate case study to improve knowledge of tectonics and macroseismic analysis.
In May 2012, two major earthquakes struck Northern Italy, causing 27 deaths and widespread damage. The events are known in Italy as the 2012 Emilia earthquakes, because they mainly affected the Emilia region.
An earthquake, measuring 6.2 ± 0.016 on the moment magnitude scale, hit Central Italy on 24 August 2016 at 03:36:32 CEST. Its epicentre was close to Accumoli, with its hypocentre at a depth of 4 ± 1 km, approximately 75 km (47 mi) southeast of Perugia and 45 km (28 mi) north of L'Aquila, in an area near the borders of the Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo and Marche regions. As of 15 November 2016, 299 people had been killed.
A series of four major earthquakes struck Central Italy between Abruzzo, Lazio, the Marche and Umbria regions on 18 January 2017.
The 2018 Molise earthquake hit the Italian regions of Molise on 15 August at 19:15:00 (UTC).
On 27 November 1461, a powerful earthquake and series of aftershocks struck Italy's Abruzzo region along the Aterno River. The tremors caused widespread damage to Abruzzo's capital, L'Aquila, and the surrounding villages. At least 80 people are recorded to have died and numerous people were injured by the earthquakes. The quakes also caused major, permanent damage to religious sites and changed politics for L'Aquila and the Abruzzo region.
Starting on December 28, 2019, and progressing into 2020, the southwestern part of the island of Puerto Rico was struck by an earthquake swarm, including 11 that were of magnitude 5 or greater. The largest and most damaging of this sequence was a magnitude 6.4 Mw, which occurred on January 7 at 04:24 AST (08:24 UTC), with a maximum felt intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. At least one person was killed, and several others were injured.
The 1990 Carlentini earthquake occurred off the Sicilian coast, 20 km east northeast from the town of Augusta, Sicily on 13 December at 01:24 local time. The moderately-sized earthquake measuring 5.6 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw ) resulted in the deaths of 19 people and caused at least 200 injuries. It also inflicted significant damage in the region, leaving 2,500 homeless.
On December 5, 1456, the largest earthquake to occur on the Italian Peninsula in historical times struck the Kingdom of Naples. The earthquake had an estimated moment magnitude of Mw 7.19–7.4, and was centred near the town of Pontelandolfo in the present-day Province of Benevento, southern Italy. Earning a level of XI (Extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale, the earthquake caused widespread destruction in central and southern Italy. Estimates of the death toll range greatly with up to 70,000 deaths reported. It was followed by two strong Mw 7.0 and 6.0 earthquakes to the north on December 30. The earthquake sequence is considered the largest in Italian history, and one of the most studied.
The second shock in the 1962 Irpinia earthquake sequence was the largest and most destructive in a series of earthquakes in the southern Apennines. It occurred on 21 August at 18:19 CET, measuring Mw 6.15 and assigned a maximum intensity of IX (Violent). It was preceded by an Mw 5.68 foreshock, and followed by a 5.34 aftershock. The earthquakes resulted in nearly 20 fatalities and significant property losses.
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