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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 27 december 2018

Quake from Mount Etna volcano jolts Sicily, sparks panic

By FRANCES D’EMILIO, damage to churches was lapsed in another house,
Associated Press being tallied by experts. and in other homes parts
ROME (AP) — An earth- “Etna remains a dangerous of exterior walls crumbled.
quake triggered by Mount volcano, and this country Some stone walls along
Etna’s eruption jolted east- of ours is unfortunately frag- fields and local roads crum-
ern Sicily before dawn ile,” government undersec- bled. Etna, the largest of
Wednesday, injuring at retary Vito Crimi said as he Italy’s three active volca-
least 10 people, damaging reported 10 people injured. noes, has been particularly
churches and houses on The most seriously injured active since July. In recent
the volcano’s slopes and was a 70-year-old man days, Etna’s latest eruption
prompting panicked villag- who fractured ribs and has been shooting volcanic
ers to flee their homes. was undergoing surgery for ash, heavy smoke and lava
Italy’s Civil Protection offi- chest injuries. A 71-year-old stones into the air, coating
cials said the quake, which patient was being kept in roads and homes nearby
struck at 3:19 a.m., was hospital for observation, with ash. A new fracture
part of a swarm of some Italian Civil protection volunteers gather near the heavily while others were treated has opened near Etna’s
1,000 tremors, most of them damaged church of Maria Santissima as plumes of smoke come and released, the Italian southeast crater and lava
barely perceptible, linked out the Mount Enta Volcano in Fleri, Sicily Italy, Wednesday, news agency ANSA report- has been flowing down an
to Etna’s volcanic eruption Dec. 26, 2018. ed. Additionally, 18 other uninhabited slope.
this week. Associated Press people went to local hos- The quake was also felt in
Italy’s national seismology no damage or injuries were forcing it to close. Many pitals suffering from panic the upscale Sicilian resort
institute said the quake had reported there. people spent the hours af- attacks or shock, news re- town of Taormina and in
a magnitude of 4.8 on the The quake opened up ter the quake sleeping in ports said. other towns in eastern Sicily.
open-ended Richter scale cracks in homes in several their cars. One 80-year-old man was The Civil Protection agency
and 4.9 on the moment towns, sending chunks of In the town of Piano safely extracted from the said temporary shelters
magnitude scale, which concrete debris tumbling d’Api, firefighters removed rubble of his home, ANSA were being set up in gyms
relates to the amount the to the ground. It toppled cracked stucco from the said, while a woman told or municipal buildings for
ground slips. It struck north a Madonna statue in a bell tower of the damaged state radio that her sister people whose houses were
of Catania, the largest city church in Santa Venerina Santa Maria della Miseri- was pulled out from un- damaged or who were too
in the eastern part of the and broke up sidewalks cordia church. Italy’s cul- der a heavy armoire that frightened to return to their
Mediterranean island, but and a stretch of highway, ture ministry said the quake had toppled. A ceiling col- homes.q

18 arrested in Tunisia amid violent protests

Associated Press self-immolation in Kasser- bunal spokesman Achref
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tuni- ine describing his despera- Youssefi said an investiga-
sian authorities have arrest- tion and calling for revolt. tion “for failure to assist
ed 18 people during pro- He expressed frustration at a person in danger” has
tests that erupted after the unemployment and the un- been opened following the
death of a journalist who fulfilled promises of Tunisia’s death of Zorgui. He said a
set himself on fire to protest 2011 Arab Spring revolu- suspect has been arrested.
economic problems in the tion. A similar self-immolation, by
North African nation, offi- The most violent protests a street vendor lamenting
cials said Wednesday. took place in Kasserine, in unemployment, corruption
Thirteen were arrested in west central Tunisia, where and repression, led to na-
the provincial city of Kas- police used tear gas to dis- tionwide protests fueled by
serine and five others in Te- perse stone-throwing dem- social media that brought
bourba, near Tunis, Interior onstrators. According to down Tunisia’s long-time
Ministry spokesman Sofiane Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of ShemsFM radio, the military authoritarian president in
Zaag said. Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018. was deployed to help po- 2011. That ushered in de-
Clashes between protest- Associated Press lice tackle the protests and mocracy for Tunisia and un-
ers and Tunisian authori- regions over the past two derrazak Zorgui posted secure state buildings. leashed similar movements
ties took place in several days after journalist Ab- a video online before his Meanwhile, Kasserine tri- around the Arab world.q