August 2016 Central Italy earthquake

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the Apennine mountains of central Italy in the early hours of the morning, centered near Accumoli, Amatrice and Arquata del Tronto. The villages of Amatrice and Pescara del Tronto were largely flattened, as old stone buildings with weak mortar collapsed on their sleeping residents. Nearly 300 people died, and many more were left homeless. Two further strong earthquakes followed in October 2016, hitting around Visso and Norcia and damaging the basilica of St Benedict in Norcia. The sequence prompted debate in Italy about seismic retrofitting of historic towns and about the slow pace of reconstruction in the affected areas.

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