Death toll of earthquake rises to 292 in Italy

The death toll of the deadly earthquake measured 6.0 magnitude in central Italy has risen to 292, said Italian Civil Protection on Monday evening.

Some two more bodies have been pulled out from the rubble of the worst-hit town Amatrice, making the death toll to 231 in the region, and 10 people were still missing in the area.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Monday introduced 'Home Italy,' a national plan for earthquake and other natural disaster risk prevention.

The prime minister said that Italy needs a far-reaching overhaul of its architecture in highly seismic areas.

"Fatalists who in the name of destiny, continue to build without vision or strategy, or impede the creation of a culture of prevention must not carry the day," Renzi added.

The local government plans to get survivors of the deadly earthquake out of civil protection tents within a month, officials said Monday.

The next step of the plan is to build wood houses in the next three to four months to resettle the 2,500 people affected by the quake.

The European Commission is ready to grant budget flexibility for earthquake spending, but only in the short term as was done for the Abruzzo and Emilia quakes in 2009 and 2012, an EC spokeswoman said Monday.

The funerals of earthquake victims from Amatrice will be held in their Lazio village on Tuesday, Amatrice Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said after a protest by survivors.

Source : XINHUA