The death-toll was expected to rise further amid fears of landslides, concerns over the amount of specialised equipment available to rescuers, complaints in some villages that search teams have been slow to arrive despite a massive rescue and relief effort.
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The 6.2 magnitude quake struck a cluster of mountain communities 140km east of Rome early on Wednesday as people slept, destroying hundreds of homes.
Calgary Italian Cultural Centre past-president Linda Blasetti says they are working on a fundraising plan which will likely involve the Red Cross.
In his condolence message, the Prime Minister said the government and the people of Pakistan are deeply saddened over this tragedy and sympathize with the people and government of Italy at this critical moment.
In the town of Amatrice, the damage was so extensive that Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said, “The town isn’t here anymore”, The Associated Press reported.
Rescuers sifted through collapsed masonry in the search for survivors, but their grim mission was clouded by uncertainty about exactly how many people had been staying in communities closest to the epicentre of Wednesday’s quake.
About 365 people injured in Wednesday’s quake were hospitalised, the Civil Protection department said, adding that about 5,000 people, including police, firefighters, army troops and volunteers, were involved in post-quake operations.
Rocks and metal fell on to the streets in the centre of Amatrice and dazed residents sheltered in piazzas as more than 40 aftershocks hit the region in the early hours.
The combination of a shallow fault and old, unreinforced masonry buildings led to widespread devastation in the natural disaster that struck central Italy early Wednesday. “We can talk about ten of thousands, but we don’t know the exact number”.
Amatrice, known for its traditional all’amatriciana pasta sauce, had been gearing up to hold a festival celebrating the recipe this weekend.
“In hard times, Italy knows what to do”, he said.
In recent quakes, some of these more modern buildings have been the deadliest: the university dormitory that collapsed in the 2009 L’Aquila quake, killing 11 students; the elementary school that crumbled in San Giuliano di Puglia in 2002, killing 26 children – the town’s entire first-grade class.
“But what have we got to lose now?”
On Wednesday, the economy ministry pledged 234 million euros (263 million US dollars) from the national emergency fund to assist those in the towns and villages destroyed by the quake. All three regions are dotted with centuries-old buildings susceptible to earthquakes.
“When she is more tranquil, we will go to Ascoli”, he said.
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A day after the shallow quake levelled three small towns, a 4.3 magnitude aftershock hit the already-devastated settlement of Amatrice.
