L'Aquila, Italy

• When it happened: April 6th, 2009 at 3:32 am
• Magnitude: 6.3 on the Richter scale
• Location: Near the town of L’Aquila, Abruzzo region, central Italy
• Occurred at a destructive plate margin (Eurasian and African plate boundaries)
• 308 people killed (PE)
• 1500 people injured (PE)
• 67,500 people made homeless (PE)
• 10,000 - 15,000 buildings collapsed, including: churches, monuments, the Basilica of St. Bernadino, San Salvatore hospital and buildings in L'Aquila University (w/ some fatalities in its student accommodation) (PE)
• $11434 million USD in damages (PE)
• Aftershocks triggered landslides and rock falls, which damaged housing and transport (SE)
• Water pipeline near town of Paganio caused landslide and mudflows (SE)
• Numbers of students at L'Aquila University decreased (SE)
• Lack of housing caused housing and rent prices to increase (SE)
• Most of city's central business district was shut off (red zones) which reduced the amount of business, tourism and income (SE)
• Hotels provided 10,000 people with shelter and 40,000 tents were given out (IR)
• Italian Red Cross was searching for survivors within an hour and helped by 7 dog units and 36 ambulances (IR)
• British Red Cross raised £171,000 in support (IR)
• Mortgages and bills for Sky TV, gas and electric suspended - Italian Post Office offered free calls and free deliveries from small businesses (IR)
• Region declared to be in a state of emergency, which sped up international aid from EU and USA - EU granted $552.9 million from its solidarity fund for rebuilding L'Aquila. (IR)
• Residents didn't have to pay taxes until 2010. (LTR)
• Students were given free public transport and discounts on educational equipment and were exempt from university fees for 3 years. (LTR)
• Homes and historic centres took several years (around 15) to rebuild. (LTR)
• In October 2012, 6 scientists and 1 government official were found guilty of manslaughter for failing to accurately predict the severe earthquake. (LTR)