Second big quake hits northern Italy, 10 dead

5.8-magnitude quake strikes near Modena after May 20 tremor killed 7; many believed injured, mat be trapped under rubble.

By REUTERS
Northern Italy earthquake damage 370 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Northern Italy earthquake damage 370
(photo credit: REUTERS)
MILAN - A strong earthquake struck northern Italy on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people and spreading panic among residents still living in tents after a tremor shook the region just over a week ago, destroying their homes.
Officials and a source from the Italian Red Cross said several people were trapped under the rubble of houses and warehouses in the Emilia-Romagna region. Police said 10 people were confirmed dead but the toll was likely to rise.
"The situation is very serious, some people are stuck under the rubble," Alberto Silvestri, the mayor of the San Felice sul Panaro told television channel SkyTG24.
The 5.8-magnitude quake struck near Modena and was felt across much of northern and central Italy.
On May 20, a magnitude 6 earthquake killed seven people and destroyed hundreds of buildings, including ancient churches and castles, and forced thousands of people to sleep outdoors in tents.
Italian media said the latest earthquake caused more buildings to collapse.
Train services around Bologna, near Modena, were disrupted, media said, and schools and other public buildings had been evacuated as far south as Florence.
"We felt a very strong tremor," said Raffaella Besola, a resident of Bologna.
The US Geological Survey said the epicenter of Tuesday's 5.8 magnitude earthquake, which struck at a depth of 9.6 km (6 miles), was less than 30 km (19 miles) from Modena, not far from where the quake hit just over a week ago.
Messages posted on Twitter and other social media suggested the tremor was felt across northern Italy.