At least 150 feared dead in Italy quake

Italy’s worst earthquake in nearly 30 years during the night of 5-6 April 2009 seriously damaged parts of the historic medieval centre of L’Aquila. Officials estimated the death toll at more than 150, more than 1500 injured and over 70,000 homeless.

Subsequently in 2013, a report into relief and reconstruction efforts after the earthquake at L’Aquila in Italy concluded that EU funds were misused and partly diverted to companies with links to organised crime.

Drawn up for the European Parliament, the document also said that work was poorly carried out. It strongly criticised the Italian authorities and accused the European Commission of negligence and being an accomplice to fraud.

Council of the European Union: Press Release: S094/09: EU HR Javier SOLANA conveys his condolences to Italy after the earthquake http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/declarations/107139.pdf

France24, 7.4.09: Quake toll reaches 207, Berlusconi says http://www.france24.com/en/20090407-search-survivors-continues-through-night-italy-quake-aquila

Deutsche Welle, 7.4.09: Italy quake deaths soar above 200 http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4158983,00.html

ANSA, 7.4.09: Quake: Italy may accept US help http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/english.shtml

BBC News, 7.4.09: Quake rescuers race against time http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7986727.stm

BBC News, 6.4.09: Italy hunts for quake survivors http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7985958.stm

Deutsche Welle, 6.4.09: State of emergency declared after devastating Italian earthquake http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4155214,00.html

France24, 6.4.09: Earthquake kills at least 150, flattens buildings http://www.france24.com/en/20090406-strong-earthquake-hits-central-italy-rome

ANSA, 6.4.09: Quake: Over 100 killed, 1500 injured http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/english.shtml

Spiegel Online International, 6.4.09: 'One More Jolt and Everything Is Going to Collapse' http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,617754,00.html

La Repubblica, 05.11.13: European reconstruction funds earmarked for Aquila may have fallen into the wrong hands (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/4296611-european-reconstruction-funds-earmarked-aquila-may-have-fallen-wrong-hand

BBC News, 05.11.13: Italy earthquake: L'Aquila EU relief funds 'misused' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24807872

ESO: Background information: Scientists convicted over Italian quake http://www.europeansources.info/record/scientists-convicted-over-italian-quake/

Euronews, 04.11.13: EU funds for L’Aquila earthquake ‘misused’, Italy and Brussels blamed http://www.euronews.com/2013/11/04/eu-funds-for-l-aquila-earthquake-misused-italy-and-brussels-blamed/

BBC News, 12.01.14: Fraud scandal forces L'Aquila mayor to quit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25702891

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