Updated: Italian earthquake, 130 dead, Foreign Ministry sets up hotline

Rachel Spiteri

Apr 7th 2009, 20:54

omg. can't believe it. I hope they don't find more dead people..

J Farrugia

Apr 7th 2009, 07:23

Mike Pace please be informed that instead of creating polemics with useless words and political snides at Berlusconi, help is more needed than words. At least the Berlusconi Government was quick in its response unlike several other administrations. Immediately columns of help were sent to the areas involved without any hitches. As for the polemic that a person tried to unfold at this sensible time, NO ONE can exactly state when an earthquake will occur. NO ONE. Tremors are heard always but with no cause for alarm. God forbid if whenever there is a slight tremor all the people go scurrying out of their houses and prepare for the worst. These are acts of God. and in this modern and technological era, no one has found any 100% solution to these disasters. And these disasters quadruple since all the buildings are old and built with cheap materials of long ago.

victor vella

Apr 6th 2009, 22:24

Many local high rise buidings are designed to withstand earthquakes, The hospiatl is also designed to withstand earthquakes, JC Micallef believe me , we have some damm good engineers here in Malta , and a system that is used in one country isnt neccesarily used in another country, besides we build our foundations on rock and not clay so I believe the design needs to be different.Would you believe that even the wind force is calculated when there is a high rise building especially one clad in glass.

Lorna Mifsud Cachia

Apr 6th 2009, 21:31

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, with the families of the victims and with all those thousands who have been rendered homeless. It is indeed a day of great sadness and we Maltese have the duty to stand by our Italian friends and neighbours in these tough times.

Let us as a nation unite in prayer for all those thousands who have to face the first of many nights outside their homes and let us pray for all the victims. May God be with them all.

You're all in our thoughts and prayers.

mike pace

Apr 6th 2009, 18:25

These residence were already informed the Italian government from last the December of 2008 that they are of risk of life threat but without any response at all from the local council neither any reply from the Berlusconi government because shocks of tremors were already been felt around the Abruzzo region - may God help all the souls specially young children and old people

Sam Barbara

Apr 6th 2009, 17:54

As someone who has been in numerous earthquakes including the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco, my thoughts and prayers go out to all who are now suffering. We pray to God for the recovery of any survivors and for those who have lost their lives in this tragedy

jcmicallef

Apr 6th 2009, 15:50

our thoughts, prayers and any help, are with our very close neighbours.

We think, eat and reason like them, so this (natural) so most of the maltese will feel this as close to home, as almost everyone knows an italian here and there.

Great pity, of course, for the human loss and pain, and great pity for the historical buildings too.

jcmicallef

Apr 6th 2009, 15:39

@ Mr. Barrett - my thoughts exactly!

I had raised this question a few months ago when there was a debate going on about the high-rise buildings being built.

Speaking to a structural engineer that worked in the US, I found out that he had no indication that locally we have buildings that are truly resistant. They'd need to be steel-braced and whatever.

Concrete pylons just crumble otherwise. He did mention some building which may resist, but have forgotten which one he was referring to :-(

Paul Barrett

Apr 6th 2009, 15:19

This is a natural disaster which mankind unfortunately can do nothing to prevent.

As an aside, are the high-rise blocks in Malta, both current and planned, built or being built to withstand earthquakes?