By
ROME (CNS) — One of the two women who died when an
earthquake struck the Italian island of Ischia was killed by falling debris
from a 19th-century church. The other died in her home, which was destroyed by
the quake Aug. 21.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, which struck at
8:57 p.m. local time, measured a magnitude of 4.3. Ischia is located off the
coast of Naples.
As of late Aug. 22, Italian authorities had not released the
names of the two women who died. The Italian bishops’ television station,
TV2000, said the destroyed church was Santa Maria dei Suffragio, more commonly
known as the “Purgatory Church.” The church in the village of
Casamicciola was built in the 19th century after a quake in 1883 destroyed the
previous church on the site.
Much of the international news coverage of the quake focused
on the rescue of three children, brothers, who were buried under the rubble. The
first of the brothers to be rescued, seven hours after the quake, was
7-month-old Pasquale. The next morning, rescuers were able to free 7-year-old
Mattias. Ciro, 11, was freed 16 hours after the quake. All of the brothers are
expected to make a full recovery.
The local hospital originally treated 39 other people for
quake-related injuries. One person remained in serious condition, although most
of the others were treated and released.
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