A state of emergency will be
declared Friday for the Etna quake that injured 28 and left 600
homeless in the villages in the lee of Europe's tallest active
volcano, Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio said Thursday.
The seismic activity has calmed amid thousands of aftershocks
since the Christmas Day 4-8 magnitude quake that damaged
buildings across a swathe of towns near Catania and toppled a
statue that had been erected to ward off quakes.
Civil protection chief Angleo Borrelli said Thursday "an
alert was in place and had been raised" after a Christmas Eve
eruption from the Sicilian volcano.
"Of course, earthquakes cannot be predicted," said Borrelli.
Di Maio and the other deputy premier, Interior Minister
Matteo Salvini, will visit the areas affected later Thursday.
Sicily Governor Nello Musumeci will declare a state of
calamity.
Among those made homeless, some slept in their cars next to
their ruined buildings for fear of looters plundering their
belongings.
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