Gorden Kerr & the FRU: A Scottish Sunday special report

After the shock and the grief, Italians want answers.

Why did so many buildings collapse in last week’s earthquake, and who is to blame?

From Philip Willan in L’Aquila

FROM A distance, L'Aquila looked like any other medium-sized Italian city, sprawled across the foothills of the Apennines with its modern apartment blocks and historic centre built in stone. But as I approached last week it became apparent that something was wrong: some buildings had holes in their roofs, others had visible cracks in the walls and some had walls missing, ripped away as if by a bombardment. A disaster had happened here, revealing Italy's uncomfortable relationship with geological hazard and modernity.

Closer to the centre, entire buildings had collapsed, burying dozens of people in the rubble.

At Via Campo di Fossa 6b a six-storey building had come down, killing 26 of its occupants in the most deadly collapse of last Monday's earthquake. Its next-door twin was still standing, with just a few cracks in its external walls. On Thursday L'Aquila's mayor, Massimo Cialente, declared every building in the city of 70,000 people, visibly damaged or not, unsafe for occupation. Every building that represented the state authority had failed the test: the prefecture, pictured, the seat of regional government that should have been the nerve-centre for emergency planning, was partially collapsed; the modern police headquarters was unsafe and the police chief was operating from a caravan; and, crucially, the structure of San Salvatore Hospital, opened just 15 years ago, had failed, forcing the evacuation of patients in the middle of the night.

The responses of the emergency services, civil protection authorities and volunteers have been swift and generous.

The homeless have been housed in swiftly erected tent cities and in hotels on the Adriatic coast. There have been few words of complaint from them, or from the opposition, which has loyally supported the government in a time of national tragedy. But as the death toll inched towards 300, the first recriminations began to appear in TV discussion programmes and in the press.

Investigating Building Collapses

Why had some buildings collapsed and others survived? Could something not have been done to evacuate residents, given that tremors of ever-increasing strength had been jolting the city for three months? Some survivors indicated that they would have happily used the tent cities on a voluntary basis if they had been set up before, rather than after, the devastating quake. Ultimately, though, should an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale have proved so destructive? Franco Barberi, a volcanologist and former head of the civil protection agency, says no. "An earthquake like this in California would not have caused a single death," he told reporters. What had happened in L'Aquila was understandable, though, because of the country's old and badly built buildings. The inefficiency and lack of foresight in dealing with Italy's well-known earthquake risk was "desolating", Barberi said. "The failure is at all levels. Unfortunately, we are a country that doesn't learn its lessons."

Controversy and Predictions

In reality, the controversy had begun even before last Monday's quake struck. It was provoked by amateur scientist, Giampaolo Giuliani, who predicted a major quake would strike the nearby town of Sulmona at the end of March, and called for it to be evacuated. His view was not generally accepted in the scientific community, and he was reported to the police for spreading alarm and denounced as an "imbecile" by Guido Bertolaso, the head of the civil protection agency. The April 6 earthquake, which could be seen as a vindication for Giuliani's alarm, has given him media notoriety. Bertolaso rightly points out that neither the date nor the location of the warning were exactly right and, had the authorities acted on it, they may well have evacuated residents of Sulmona to L'Aquila, potentially worsening the death toll. "As far as I'm concerned it's not possible to predict an earthquake," said Giorgio Santamaria, a 54-year-old clerical worker temporarily housed in a blue interior ministry tent on the L'Aquila athletics ground. "The same thing happened in the 1703 earthquake: two or three months of minor tremblors and then the big one." On that occasion more than 3000 people died and almost all the city's churches were destroyed.

The Task of Making the Country Safe

The daunting task of making the country safe from any repetition of the catastrophe now falls to the politicians. Silvio Berlusconi, the prime minister, has responded to the emergency with consummate skill, cancelling a visit to Russia to tour the earthquake zone and overseeing the government's initial response. He has been filmed and photographed surveying the scene from a helicopter and comforting the homeless while wearing a fireman's helmet, and visibly moved at the state funeral of 205 of the victims on Friday. His jovial suggestion that the homeless should look on their time under canvas as a camping trip caused indignation among the earthquake victims, but probably had little impact on Italians as a whole, who have become inured to his well-meaning but insensitive remarks. The upshot so far has been to bolster his image as a solicitous father of the nation, capable of resolving the needs of the earthquake victims with his hands-on, can-do approach, just as he solved the Naples refuse crisis. All the while the opposition has been left mute, relegated to virtual irrelevancy. Berlusconi has even offered to put up some of the homeless in his own, not inconsiderable, private residences. But it may not be that simple.

The Role of Hotels

When it comes to accommodating those affected by the earthquake, hotels have played a crucial role. The homeless have been housed in hotels on the Adriatic coast, providing them with a safe and comfortable temporary living environment. Given the scale of the disaster and the number of people in need of shelter, the swift response of hotels in opening their doors to the victims is commendable.

Hotels have not only provided a physical space for the displaced, but also essential services including meals, clean water, and sanitation facilities. The support and generosity demonstrated by hotel owners and staff have helped alleviate some of the hardships faced by those affected by the earthquake.

Furthermore, hotels have been working in coordination with the emergency services, civil protection authorities, and volunteers to ensure the smooth and efficient distribution of resources to those in need. The collaboration between these entities has been crucial in addressing the immediate needs of the displaced population.

While the focus remains on rescue and recovery efforts, the role of hotels in providing temporary shelter and support should not be overlooked. Their contribution to the relief efforts demonstrates the resilience and solidarity of the hospitality industry in times of crisis.

Conclusion

The earthquake in L'Aquila has exposed Italy's vulnerabilities in dealing with seismic risks and the need for better infrastructure and disaster preparedness. As the country grapples with the aftermath of the disaster, it is essential that lessons are learned and proactive measures are taken to enhance the safety of buildings in earthquake-prone areas. The collaboration between government agencies, scientists, and the private sector, including hotels, will be instrumental in creating a more resilient and secure future for Italy.