UPDATED: L'Aquila earthquake: Maltese tell of lucky escapes

Details have started to emerge of lucky escapes by Maltese residents in the earthquake-stricken area of l'Aquila in Italy. The death toll from yesterday morning's earthquake has so far climbed to 207.

Nathalie Cinque, a Maltese woman married to an Italian and resident at l'Aquila for the past 24 years, told relatives that they had been feeling tremors since December. On March 30 she even prepared bags with blankets and drinks which they could quickly grab should the situation get serious.

On Sunday night they felt a tremor at 10.45 p.m. A second followed an hour later and the lights went out. The bed started shaking and items fell from the walls.

The family - two adults and two grown-up children - quickly grabbed their bags and dashed out to their cars, well before the big magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck.

Following the earthquake, their apartment was still standing but Mr Cinque, who ventured inside, found the walls to be badly cracked and everything inside was topsy turvy. Because of the danger of collapse, the family has been living in two cars - one for the parents and one for the children.

A Maltese woman and her three children also had a lucky escape. They too managed to dash out of their apartment, overlying a bank, shortly before it collapsed. So too did a Maltese nun who had been living in the same building. The nun is to return to Malta while the woman and her children are staying with friends.

The Maltese Foreign Ministry said all Maltese known to be living or staying in the Aquila region have now been accounted for, and no people with Maltese surnames feature among the casualties.

Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, who is due back from meetings in Turkey today, thanked the ministry's staff for their hard work to ensure that all Maltese were safe and were given assistance.

Theministry thanked all those who had phoned to give it contact details on Maltese who are in the area hit by the earthquake. The phone number is 21242191.

COLLECTIONS FOR THE VICTIMS

The Maltese Home Affairs Ministry, through the Humanitarian Aid Section of the Civil Protection Department, has offered assistance to the Italian government, according to the requirements of the people who suffered loss of property.

The Civil Protection Department will be issuing a call for collection of materials required by the people of Abruzzo, as soon as an indication of the requirements is received from the Italian Authorities.

Caritas Malta said it has set up a fund to help the earthquake victims. Donations may be made to parish priests, sent by cheque to Caritas at 5, Lion Street, Floriana or deposited in the following accounts: APS account 2000079917-6: Bank of Valletta account 4001809888-6 and HSBC account 089021513051.