Italy Digs Out From Earthquake

Hundreds die and thousands more are homeless; Abruzzo winemakers report only minor damage

Rescue workers desperately searched through rubble in central Italy's Abruzzo region Tuesday, looking for trapped survivors of a devastating earthquake that hit early Monday morning. Winemakers in the province were inspecting their cellars for damage and helping their neighbors, but are still living in fear as steady aftershocks continue to hit the area. An estimated 207 people are dead and 17,000 are homeless.

Residents awoke at 3:30 a.m. on Monday as a quake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale hit the region, which lies east of Rome. The picturesque capital, L'Aquila, suffered the worst destruction, but more than 26 villages in the area were damaged. Hundreds of buildings, many of them historic, collapsed or suffered heavy damage, including portions of the local cathedral and two churches.

"I woke up to hear the cat flap swinging," said Marcello Zaccagnini, owner of the Zaccagnini winery in Bolognano, 38 miles east of L'Aquila. "I thought at first there were burglars in the house. But then all hell let loose as the major quake hit and soon there were people running around the roads in their underwear, screaming."

Zaccagnini said that two full 80,000-gallon stainless-steel tanks in his winery were lifted into the air. When they landed, their steel legs crumpled and became intertwined, precariously holding the tanks upright. "We didn't lose a drop of wine in the end," he said, "but the force needed to lift tanks at least 30 centimeters [one foot] off the floor like that must have been incredible."

Zaccagnini said that he had managed to get in contact with acquaintances nearer L'Aquila. "Everyone knows someone who has died," he said, "and they are telling me about entire villages flattened by the quake."

Luigi Cataldi Madonna, owner of the Cataldi Madonna winery in Ofena, also came close to losing wine. The quake tipped over three 2,600-gallon stainless-steel tanks. "We were lucky as we managed to recuperate the wine," said Cataldi Madonna. "Our situation was quickly resolved, but the death and destruction around L'Aquila is another story."

Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi visited the region Tuesday and said rescue teams would continue searching for at least 48 hours longer. Some 280 aftershocks have hit the area since Monday morning, the strongest on Tuesday registered 4.8 on the Richter scale. Residents are sleeping in tents or their cars, afraid to go inside buildings that are still standing.

"We have suffered no damage," said Sabatino di Properzio, owner of the La Valentina winery, located 60 miles east of L'Aquila, near the coastal town of Pescara. "But we feel every aftershock, even at this distance and with a mountain between us. We're trying to help, by sending over vanloads of water and food, but what's lacking is a coordinated response."

Seismic activity is common in Italy, which straddles several faults, but the intensity of this quake was rare. It was the worst in Italy since a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Eboli, south of Naples, in 1980, killing more than 2,700 people. Minor tremors have shaken Abruzzo since January, leading some seismologists to warn of a possible quake.

"In the back of our minds, we're wondering if it's over," said Zaccagnini. "There are a lot of frightened people here. It's hard to understand if you haven't experienced it."