#Italy: Europe lamenting dead

The provisional death toll has  raised to 250 over night,  400 people in hospitals.

The populations of the four worst-hit towns – Amatrice, Pescara del Tronto, Arquata del Tronto and Accumoli – increase by up to tenfold in the summer, and many of those killed or missing were visitors. Aerial video taken by drones showed swathes of Amatrice, last year voted one of Italy’s most beautiful historic towns, completely flattened.(Reuters)

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker tweeted “solidarity”, and said the EU was ready to assist the Italian emergency services.

Commissioner Christos Stylianides, responsible for humanitarian aid and crisis management, followed that up with a statement spelling out assistance already offered, or accepted.

Thus far, he said, “the Italian authorities have requested that the Copernicus Emergency Management Services provide damage assessment satellite maps for the affected area. This will of course be done”.

(Source: Euroactive)