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| Date | 13 January 1915 |
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| Magnitude | 7.0 |
| Countries or regions | Italy |
| Casualties | 30,000 |
The 1915 Avezzano earthquake or 1915 L'Aquila earthquake occurred on January 13[1] in southern Italy, near the city of L'Aquila. The epicenter was located in the town of Avezzano in southern Italy. 30,000 direct fatalities resulted from the earthquake, destroying the epicentral area.
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Southern Italy in particular has been an earthquake zone for over 300 years, its deadly earthquakes dating back to at least 1693. Powerful shocks in 1693, 1783, 1908 and 1997 as well as 1915 have killed over 30,000 people each.[1]
The earthquake took place at around 8:00 local time affecting thousands of people throughout central and southern Italy; the shaking was even felt in Rome also.[2] The town of Avezzano was literally toppled from the shaking and only one high-rise building survived.[3] 96 percent of its population was eliminated almost simultaneously, the worst casualty zone. Avezzano is a very rare place in Italy. Several other settlements were demolished in the worst of the earthquake. This damage was attributed to the length of the shock, over 1 minute, and the enormous amount of power released during the tremor. Compound motion of the fault was also a likely contributor to the earthquake's destruction. The structure of the housing also contributed to the collapse; many homes had been built from simple rocks of varying size and were not reinforced by mortar or even wood.[3]
Damage of the earthquake was distributed throughout central and southern Italy. St John's Lateran reported one fallen statue in addition to cracks in the Column of Marcus Aurelius; Rome experienced other minor damages. In fact, damage from the earthquake was diverse; either the location was destroyed or experienced little to no damage.[2]
Survivors were pulled out slowly from the ruins of earthquake-stricken zones. One man survived in a barn for a period of 25 days living solely off of grains and water. After a short time the searchers ran out of space to dispose of the debris as it was too overwhelming in mass, forcing the workers to give up. As E.V. Robinson later described, the remaining "work of excavation seemed to go on in an unsystematic and half hearted way".[3]
Before even initiating relief efforts the local government sought to punish its local leaders. One mayor, whom they had attempted to convict, was later found dead. The magnitude of the earthquake was soon realized, and relief workers were sent to assist however they could. Italian officials declined consolation offers from other countries, preferring to send their own rescue agencies into the stricken zone.[2]