6.2 Earthquake Hits Italy

“Pregare per Italia”, which means “pray for Italy” in Italian, is a phrase of wide use across the world at this time.

A devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck central Italy on Aug 23rd, at approximately 6:36 p.m.

As if the quake wasn’t devastating enough, it triggered about seven after shocks that reached magnitudes of 5.5 and 4.0. According to CNN and Prime Minister Mateo Renzi, the death count is at 120 and still rising as the debris of the cities across central Italy, including Umbria, Lazio, and Marche are being investigated and recovered.

Tweet by @CNN

Death toll in #ItalyEarthquake rises to at least 120, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi says https://t.co/MKv0wiIKYV pic.twitter.com/2EWIhAAQ88

— CNN (@CNN) August 24, 2016

Across Twitter, users such as Lady Gaga, One Direction, and many others who have been expressing their sorrow for people affected by the earthquake are tweeting under the hashtag #PrayForItaly.

Tweet by @LadyGaga

This earthquake has a surprisingly lower death toll than the last traumatic quake experienced in L’Aquila, also in central Italy, back in April of 2009. This quake reached a magnitude of 6.3 and killed a total of 150 people.