The earth continues to shake in Central Italy. After the very strong quake on Sunday morning, the most intense in Italy for 36 years, new phenomena of moderate violence, even if lower, they registered in the night between Sunday and Monday. In particular, there were two other important shocks, of magnitude 4.2, recorded at 4.27 and 8.05. Then Tuesday morning at 8 and 56 another strong tremor, of magnitude 4.7, was felt between Marche and Umbria. The earthquake was felt distinctly in Ancona and Perugia and also in some districts of Rome. And the earthquake swarm continued last night.
Now the focus is on the damage, huge, and on the situation of the displaced persons, who number at least 40 in the entire affected area. Winter is looming and welcoming them into tents becomes complicated: many of them, especially the inhabitants of Norcia, one of the most affected municipalities and close to the epicenter, would like to stay in the areas of their homes, but Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has already hinted that the Government's plan is different. “We can't have tents for a few months in the mountains, under the snow. There are hotels, for everyone – wrote the premier on enews – But many of our compatriots do not want to leave those lands even for a few weeks. So we will have to manage this first phase, the emergency, in the best possible way”.
Renzi at the end of the extraordinary council of ministers on Monday afternoon announced a further decree-law to speed up the procedures. The prime minister explained that he had extended the emergency powers to the head of the Civil Protection, engineer Curcio, and that he wanted to put more police forces in the field to "give the idea of territorial protection to people who fear leaving their homes ”. Renzi then announced four phases for earthquake management (from emergency to reconstruction): “The last 6.5 earthquake was the most serious in the last 35 years. Timing will need attention. If we manage to bring the containers in the shortest possible time, we can avoid waiting six to seven months for the arrival of the wooden houses”.
The containers, as announced by the prime minister, will arrive in the coming weeks, before Christmas; while the houses, presumably should arrive for next summer. We cannot put the houses in two months, because they need immediate urbanization works. But we can imagine, with the presidents of regions and the mayors, having containers that allow citizens to return as soon as possible”. The Prime Minister then specified: “We will rebuild everything: even the churches, even the tourist and commercial realities. We provide everything that is needed to put the affected countries right. We are Italy. If there is a concern to return sooner we put more containers, citizens must know that the state is on their side”.
The other delicate issue on the table was that of funds to be found for reconstruction and safety measures, with regard to which Renzi had already hinted at the press conference on Sunday that the Government will spare nothing, demanding understanding and help from Europe which at the moment, despite the clarifications on the Budget Law (which will predict a higher deficit/GDP ratio, at 2,3%, taking into account the earthquake and migration emergency), did not eliminate his reservations about the measure. In the post-Cdm press conference, the premier reiterated the concept: "The funds have already been allocated, because we had calculated them with a good margin, but if there is a need for other resources, we will find them".
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also intervened during the day on this point: later the new tremors that hit central Italy, the German government claims to be close to Italy, but also to be against a violation of EU rules on debt following new spending by our country. "On behalf of the German Government, I want to tell the Italian Government and the Italian people that when and where necessary, Germany will stand by their side", said the Chancellor's spokesman Steffen Seibert, who at the same time however rejected the idea that due to the costs for aid and reconstruction in the areas affected by the new shocks, Italy violates the European rules on debt. “The Stability Pact provides for a great deal of flexibility, which can and must be used intelligently"Seibert said.
Meanwhile, at the disposal of the Civil Protection, which in the first night after the earthquake has already provided assistance to 15 thousand people, all the Armed Forces have taken the field in a significant way for all the rescue and safety operations: to date, in the area interested, there are 1.237 soldiers and 334 vehicles of Army, Navy, Air Force and Arma dei Carabinieri.
The damage is also counted in Rome, where the tremor of 7.41 was felt more than clearly on Sunday morning, sowing concern throughout the city. Today schools closed for safety reasons, while yesterday metro A was closed and still today there are closures on the ring road and diverted bus lines. Cracks and water infiltration found on Ponte Mazzini, closed for technical checks for the entire Monday morning. Checks are also underway on other bridges, while at the beginning of the morning the churches of San Francesco a Monti and that of Sant'Eustachio, right in the center a stone's throw from the Senate and the Pantheon, were declared unusable.
