Early Monday morning, the Italian region of Abruzzo was hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. The epicenter of the quake was in L'Aquila, a town about 100km northeast of Rome. According to the latest news reports, authorities fear that more than 289 people may have lost their lives.In the last were days of tears and sadness but also of acts of dedication: I'm thinking about all the volunteers coming from every side of Italy to support the people from Abruzzo. In our own small way, Googlers from Italy and from all our offices have dedicated their time and resources to provide useful information about this tragic event. We have created a web page to help people from the Abruzzo region and the areas hit by the earthquake where you can find real time information on the current situation and the rescue efforts. Users can also read the latest news, visit the websites of the the relief organizations providing aid in the region, and make a donation. This page is available both in Italian and in English.We have launched this initiative in collaboration with the Italian Authorities (Minister of Interior and the Dept. of Fire Service, National Police, National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology, Civil Protection Service) with the aim of giving as much real time information as possible.Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the population that has been affected by this tragedy.
Posted by Marco Pancini, Public Policy Analyst, Italy
