Italy Quake Kills at Least 50; Thousands Homeless

By Jerrold Colten and Alessandra Migliaccio

April 6 (Bloomberg) -- Central Italy was hit by the worst earthquake in almost three decades, killing at least 50 people and leaving as many as 50,000 homeless. Ansa said 92 were dead.

The death toll in the central province of L’Aquila was likely to rise further, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said. Rescue workers were still combing through rubble from the 6.3 magnitude quake, which had its epicenter about 60 miles from Rome. More than 10,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed and as many as 50,000 people out of the province’s 300,000-strong population may be homeless, the Civil Protection Agency said.

The quake damaged at least one hospital, a student dormitory, the regional police headquarters, thousands of homes and several churches that date as far back as the 13th century. In Rome, the quake, which occurred at 3:32 a.m. local time, was felt for about a minute, shaking buildings and setting off car alarms. the rest

ITALY MUZZLED SCIENTIST WHO FORESAW QUAKE