A Maltese team assisting in search and rescue efforts in central Italy after Wednesday’s earthquake is returning to Malta where it plans further action to help the devastated regions.

“Immediate humanitarian aid is not required, so we're looking at long-term recovery projects in collaboration with the Maltese Embassy in Rome,” SOS Malta CEO Claudia Taylor East told the Times of Malta yesterday.

The five-man team, accompanied by two specially-trained dogs, arrived in Umbria on Thursday where they joined Italian rescuers searching for survivors.

The team, led by John Gera, was primarily stationed in the town of Amatrice, pulling back briefly on Friday after reports of another tremor just two kilometres from the team, which caused further collapses.

The team reported on Saturday that the Italian authorities had found five bodies in a site indicated by the Maltese search dogs.

SOS Malta has also launched an urgent public appeal for funds for relief and recovery efforts. The organisation said all donations would exclusively support locally driven relief and recovery efforts from the disaster.

All collections held in Maltese churches over the weekend were in aid of the Italian earthquake victims.

Immediate humanitarian aid is not required

The 6.2-magnitude earthquake devastated a string of mountain towns in central Italy early Wednesday morning, trapping residents under rubble, killing at least 291 people and leaving thousands homeless. When the quake struck most residents were asleep and the tremor razed homes and buckled roads in a cluster of communities some 140 kilometre east of Rome. It was powerful enough to be felt in Bologna to the north and Naples to the south, each more than 220 kilometres from the epicentre.

Amatriciana for Amatrice

Maltese restaurants joined a global campaign to raise funds for victims by serving up the characteristic Amatriciana pasta dish, with proceeds going to the stricken town from which it takes its name.

The campaign, started by Rome-based blogger Paul Bell, has been taken up by 600 chefs around the world, all donating €2 from each sale to victims.

Julian Sammut, managing director of Kitchen Concept, which operates a number of popular restaurants in Sliema and St Julian’s, said the company had joined the campaign over the weekend.

The chain promoted Amatriciana pasta, made of tomato sauce with pork jowl and topped with pecorino cheese, in its restaurants, selling for at €10 a plate and donating half the sum to the relief fund.

“Since we only had a limited time, we decided to donate a higher percentage to increase the impact,” Mr Sammut said. “We had a positive response with some 40 dishes sold at each of a number of restaurants. One couple even apologised for buying pizza instead and gave a donation anyway.”

The Ħamrun local council announced yesterday it would be joining the campaign, hosting an Italian evening – built around the Amatriciana dish – in the locality on Saturday. Guests will be asked to make a €10 donation with all funds going to victims of the disaster.

The canine search and rescue team from SOS Malta assisting recovery efforts in Amatrice. Photos: SOS Malta

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