Rescue work underway after deadly quake

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Source: CCTV.com | 04-08-2009 09:21

The scale of destruction from Italy's deadliest earthquake in nearly three decades was visible from the air on Tuesday.

Officials say up to 15-thousand buildings have been either damaged or destroyed. And teams have begun surveying the buildings to see if residents can move back in.

Rescue workers view destroyed houses the morning after an earthquake struck the Italian village of Onna April 7, 2009. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

A strong aftershock hit L'Aquila on Tuesday, sending rescue workers and survivors scrambling.

Rescue crews have given up removing debris by hand in the ravaged city. They are now using huge pincers to pull off parts of dorm roofs, balconies and walls, to clear through the rubble.

About 42 hours after the main quake struck the region rescue crews pulled a young woman alive from a collapsed building.

As rescue efforts continue, volunteers in Rome packed boxes of aid to be sent to homeless people in the quake region.

Villages in rural areas were also hit hard by Monday's quake, with buildings partially collapsed and dozens feared dead.

Rescue workers have been using various approaches in a desperate search for survivors. Meanwhile, military transport helicopters ferry in fresh help and living supplies.

Firefighters say they have now shifted from rescue to recovery mode. They are focusing on shoring up buildings and clearing debris.

The quake was Italy's deadliest since November 23, 1980. That's when a 6.9-magnitude quake struck in Italy's southern regions, causing some 3,000 deaths.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei