G8 leaders to be briefed on earthquake evacuation drill in L’Aquila

As 15,000 police and troops threw a three-kilometre security cordon around the town of L’Aquila where the G8 summit opens tomorrow, the Government of Silvio Berlusconi was frantically drawing up plans for an alternative venue if the mountainous Abruzzo region is struck again by a powerful earthquake. Even though Italy said that the G8 leaders would be completely safe, they will be briefed on emergency evacuation plans when they arrive, with 12 helicopters on standby to fly them to Rome if necessary. In an interview with the newspaper Il Giornale — which he owns — Mr Berlusconi said that there was “absolutely no risk” to the leaders since the venue, the Finance Police barracks at Coppito outside L’Aquila, built in 1992, was earthquake-proof. Mauro Dolce, of the civil protection agency, said the barracks had been built to withstand even a 5.8 magnitude tremor like the one that killed 300 people on April 6 and left 60,000 homeless. “For the situation to be dangerous there would have to be an earthquake that has never happened at L’Aquila in living memory,” Mr Dolce said. Continue ...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6652820.ece