Questions mount as Italy quake toll hits 250

AMATRICE: The death toll from a powerful earthquake in central Italy rose to 250 on Thursday as rescuers continued a grim search for corpses amidst the powerful aftershocks that rocked the devastated area.

The bulk of the confirmed deaths -- 193 at the latest count -- were in the small town of Amatrice.

As hopes of finding any more survivors in the rubble faded, questions mounted as to why there had been so many deaths in a sparsely-populated area so soon after a 2009 earthquake in the nearby city of L’Aquila left 300 people dead.

Giuseppe Saieva, the chief public prosecutor for most of the area affected, said he would be opening an investigation into whether anyone could be held responsible for the disaster.

In Amatrice, a 4.3 magnitude aftershock shook the already badly damaged village on Thursday, fuelling fears of fresh collapses which could hamper the rescue operation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2016.