Deadly Quake Hits Italy, Kills 6, Destroys World Heritage Sites

A powerful earthquake struck in the overnight hours in northern Italy last night, killing as many as six and devastating many buildings, including several World Heritage sites.

The 6.0 temblor struck in the middle of the night local time, with an epicenter about 35 kilometers north of the city of Bologna, in the Emilia Romagna area of northern Italy. The strong quake sent thousands of panicked citizens into the streets and plazas, many wearing their bed clothes. The quake was felt as far away as Milan and Venice.

The death count so far stands at six, with most of the victims killed by falling masonry and other debris from buildings. Two people were killed in the village of Sant'Agostino when a ceramics factory collapsed. This is the strongest earthquake to hit Italy since the 2009 L'Aquila quake, which killed over 300 people.

A historic church at Buonacompra was destroyed as well as the Finale Emilia bell tower, which was sent crashing to the streets below, crushing several vehicles. A 15th-Century castle in San Felice sul Panaro popular with tourists was also severely damaged.

Several strong aftershocks have been registered since the initial quake, setting the residents further on edge. Witnesses say the shaking from the original quake lasted for at least a minute, ringing church bells throughout the region. Emergency officials ordered the evacuation of patients from local hospitals near to the epicenter of the powerful quake.

Series of Powerful Earthquakes Rock New Zealand...Again...

A powerful series of earthquakes struck Christchurch, New Zealand, today, swaying buildings and knocking out electricity and other essential utilities, further traumatizing the populace of a city already devastated by a catastrophic series of earthquakes over the past year.

A 5.8 temblor struck during the lunch hour, close to the same time a terrifying 6.3 quake hit in February, which caused billions of dollars in damages to the city and claimed almost two hundred lives. The February quake destroyed Christchurch's famed cathedral and leveled the entire business district. Today's earthquake hit as Christmas shoppers and workers filled the city center for lunch, sending panicked citizens out into the streets, fearing buildings and homes would collapse.

Roads and pavement cracked open and sand geysers gushed up from the porous ground on which most of the city lies. A Qantas flight bound for Christchurch from Australia was diverted and other airlines sent planes to nearby Wellington and Auckland airports for safety reasons.  

A second 5.8 quake hit approximately an hour after the first. Since February's quake, the city has seen a mass Exodus of citizens, with thousands of people abandoning their beyond-repair homes and moving to other areas of the country to start their lives anew. 

Rattled: Powerful Earthquake Strikes Mexico, Killing Two

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale rattled Mexico City last night, knocking out power to the Latin republic's capital and killing at least two people. Emergency services said an 18-year-old man was killed in the town of Iguala when a roof collapsed onto him and another man was killed when a dislodged boulder crashed into his vehicle as he was driving along the busy Mexico City-Acapulco Highway.

The temblor struck as streets and stores were packed with Christmas shoppers along Mexico City's famed retail and entertainment district the Zona Rosa. Thousands of people fled department stores such as La Condesa, running out into the streets in panic, as the loss of street lights and traffic signals due to a power failure snarled traffic in one of the world's largest cities, with an estimated population of 28 million people. The earthquake was felt as far away as the resort city of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast in Mexico's popular Mexican Riviera. Communications also went off line for a while after the quake, including telephone and some cable television services, with millions of people trying to call friends and relatives once the shaking had ceased.


Many people feared a repeat of the catastrophic 1985 earthquake that struck Mexico City, which killed almost 20,000 people and caused billions of dollars in damages. The enormous metropolis sits on a large plain located between two active volcanoes Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl and is highly susceptible to seismic events

Shaken: 5.7 Earthquake Rattles Region of Turkey Devastated by Quake

A sizable aftershock measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale has struck a region of Turkey still reeling from a devastating earthquake on October 23. The temblor rattled buildings in the Turkish province of Van, causing many already unstable structures damaged in the previous quake to collapse.

Over 600 people were killed in the October 23 seismic event, with thousands of people left homeless. Panicked citizens ran out into the streets as the aftershock struck, many fearful of a repeat of the previous disaster.

More than 1400 aftershocks have been recorded since the 7.2 quake. Thousands of people are currently living in tent cities, as cold weather invades the area, many too afraid to return to their damaged homes. At least 2,000 buildings were destroyed in the stronger quake and authorities declared another 3,700 buildings unfit for habitation.