QUEBEC — Quebec will send help to Italy as soon as the Red Cross requests it, International Affairs Minister Christine St-Pierre said Wednesday, shortly after a magnitude-6.2 earthquake struck Umbria, Lazio and Le Marche, three regions 130 to 160 kilometres northeast of Rome.
“The situation is very difficult,” St-Pierre said, adding many Quebecers are currently visiting Italy.
“My colleague Filomena Rotiroti told me she’s received at her office in Montreal a lot of calls. People are upset of course because it’s summer and they have relatives in Italy and they want to know what’s happening.”
St-Pierre expressed her deepest condolences to Italians. She said she is in regular contact with the Italian embassy in Canada, the consulate general and Quebec’s delegate general in Rome, to try to get as much information as possible.
Premier Philippe Couillard later said in a statement he is with the Italian community “with all his heart.”
The quake that jolted central Italy Wednesday killed at least 120 people, according to Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Dozens more are missing or feared dead.
Quebec’s international affairs department doesn’t know how many Quebecers are in Italy at the moment, nor whether anyone was hurt, said François Caouette, St-Pierre’s press attaché.
Pino Asaro, president of the National Congress of Italian-Canadians, said it is still early — authorities are still assessing the damage — but fundraising efforts are getting underway. “In 2009, we had points of collection throughout the island of Montreal, whether it was through the Italian churches, community centres, Italian banks … we raised close to $900,000,” he said. “We anticipate doing it all over again.”
St-Pierre said Quebec is ready to ship equipment, and $50,000, to help authorities in Italy deal with the emergency.
Quebecers needing information can call 1-800-387-3124 or 1-613-996-8885 in Canada, or email sos@international.gc.ca. They can also call Canadian consular services in Italy at +39 06-85444-2911.
