Last Sunday, May 20, a strong and unusually shallow earthquake struck northern Italy, killing at least seven people, damaging or destroying hundreds of structures, and leaving thousands homeless. The magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred just after 4 a.m. local time, at a depth of only 5 km (3 mi). The affected region is home to countless historic churches, castles, and towers -- many of which were damaged or toppled. Displaced families are taking shelter in tents erected on local soccer fields as rescue workers search for survivors and recovery crews try to salvage historic artifacts from the rubble.
Earthquake in Northern Italy
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A rescue worker walks in front of the facade of the town hall after a powerful earthquake that shook Italy's industrial and densely populated northeast early on May 20, 2012 in Sant'Agostino village in Modena province. #
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A woman cries following an earthquake, in Sant'Agostino, on May 20. 2012. One of the worst quakes to hit northeast Italy in hundreds of years rattled the region around Bologna early Sunday, killing at least seven people, collapsing factories and sending residents running out into the streets, emergency services said. #
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Destroyed cars in the rubble after an earthquake in Finale Emilia, on May 20, 2012. A strong earthquake rocked a large swath of northern Italy early on Sunday, killing at least three people and causing serious damage to the area's cultural heritage. #
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A quake-damaged building in Finale Emilia, on May 21, 2012. Thousands of people in northern Italy slept in tents and cars overnight as more than 100 aftershocks rocked the area hit by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that killed seven people and inflicted heavy damage to centuries-old cultural sites. #
Reuters/ Giorgio Benvenuti -
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People take shelter in a car in Finale Emilia, some 60 kilometers east of Bologna in northern Italy, after the region was hit by an earthquake early Sunday, May 20, 2012. #
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A woman kisses a child in an emergency tent in Finale Emilia, on May 21, 2012. Thousands of people in northern Italy slept in tents and cars overnight as more than 100 aftershocks rocked the area hit by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that killed seven people and inflicted heavy damage to centuries-old cultural sites. #
Reuters/Giorgio Benvenuti -
A boy looks at the damaged old tower of Delle Rocche castle after an earthquake in Finale Emilia May 20, 2012. Shortly afterward, a strong aftershock brought down the remaining half of the tower. #
Reuters/Giorgio Benvenuti -
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