By KUNA,
ROME : Thousands of rescuers continued searching for survivors this morning after Monday’s powerful earthquake which hit central Italy, as the death toll rose to 250, 16 of whom still unidentified, while 11 others were still missing, the civil protection department said. The quake displaced up to 50,000 people and around 25,000 people who sought shelter for the third night in a total of 20 tents set up by emergency services in hotel resorts along the Adriatic beach.
Rescuers pulled a 20 year-old girl alive, from under the rubble in the city of L’Aquila.
National Institute of Geo-physics and Volcanology is still recording tens of aftershocks.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will return for the third time to the devastated region. The government officially appealed for a grant from the EU disaster fund.
Berlusconi said Italy received solidarity letters from tens of countries offering help in reconstruction. (end) mn.mar KUNA 081253 Apr 09NNNN