Emiratis affected by Italy earthquake asked to contact UAE embassy

UAE embassy in Rome has asked UAE citizens affected by the earthquake in Italy to contact them on 00390636306100.

“The UAE nationals affected by the earthquake in the provinces of Lazio and Marche in Italy, please communicate with the Embassy on Tel 00390636306100,” a tweet posted on the Embassy in Rome twitter page said on Wednesday.

All Emirati citizens currently travelling in the country are reported to be safe, a source at the UAE embassy in Rome said.

“At the moment we can say that all the Emirati people are safe and no body got hurt during this disaster.”

The embassy official said the number of reported casualties has climbed to 22.

“The victims are for now 22 in the main cities that are affected by the earthquake.”

RELATED: Death toll increases in central Italy earthquake

Asked if they had reached out to UAE citizens in the country they said: “We are doing this right now and there will be an announcement on social media now to announce that everyone was safe.”

A strong earthquake struck central Italy early on Wednesday, levelling buildings in several towns as residents slept.

At least 11 people were reported dead in two hard-hit towns where rescue crews raced to dig out survivors from the rubble.

The magnitude 6.1 quake struck at 3:36 am local time and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy, including the capital Rome where residents felt a long swaying followed by aftershocks. First images of damage showed debris in the street and some collapsed buildings in towns and villages that dot much of the Umbrian countryside.

The hardest-hit towns were Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, some 100 km northeast of Rome, though the quake was felt beyond the Lazio region into Umbria and Le Marche on the Adriatic coast.

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