Italy: Worst quake in 30 years strikes the city of L’Aquila.

Monday, April 6, 2009 – Toronto: CMAT continues to monitor the progress of Italian search and rescue teams after an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 and depth 10km struck the highly populated area in the Abruzzi Province of Central Italy. (Population: 1.2 million). The earthquake, centred 7km from the city of L’Aquila, approximately 120 km northeast of Rome struck at 3:30 am, leaving numerous fatalities, and tens of thousands homeless in the medieval city.

CMAT’s Disaster Assessment Team response has been activated, and remains on standby pending further developments. Skilled and experienced CMAT volunteers who have previously responded to disasters in Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh are ready to be sent depending on need, including search and rescue and critical care paramedics, Emergency/Trauma physicians and surgeons, and experienced Emergency Nurses and Nurse Practitioners. CMAT has the capability to deploy a fully equipped, inflatable field hospital anywhere in the world within 24 to 48 hours.