ABRUZZO EARTHQUAKE/ A displaced person: the situation is grave

The hours pass as they try to save as many survivors as possibile from the terrible earthquake that hit Abruzzo last night. Marco Gentile lives near Aquila and is one of tens of thousands of people who have had to leave their homes during these last hours. He tells Ilsussidiario.net what people are experiencing at this dramatic time.
 
Marco, how is the situation now?
 
The situation is very serious, especially because the center of the city of Aquila was destroyed, and many historic buildings collapsed there. Now no one can enter the city, so there is no access to relief services.
 
Outside of Aquila, how is the general situation?
 
Take the situation in the suburbs around Aquila. Again, the general condition is very serious in many cases, especially in the direction of Pescara where the town of Paganica had about 80% of its homes destroyed.
 
What was your experience of the terrible moments this night?
 

I was sleeping, of course, when we heard this violent shock; I think it lasted about thirty seconds. We immediately jumped up and started running down the street, my wife and I and our two children. My house wasn’t badly damaged because it is a one-family house; some houses, especially the older ones, were completely destroyed.

Read the full interview