The European Union, which is standing shoulder to shoulder with the Italian people following the devastating earthquake which hit the centre of Italy (region of Lazio and Marche) in the early hours of Wednesday 24 August, has expressed its "heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones" and announced the same day that it stood ready to provide the Italian authorities with practical assistance to carry out its rescue operations.
The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, has written to Italy's prime minister, Matteo Renzi, to reiterate this offer.
The earthquake, which measures 6.2 on the Richter scale, has left at least 21 people dead, according to the Italian authorities, and caused considerable damage to infrastructure. The human toll is increasing by the hour. "[We are] closely monitoring [the situation]. My condolences and sympathy to the victims' families. EU stands ready to help", the European commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, Christos Stylianides, said on Twitter, as soon as the news of this major natural disaster broke.
A few hours later, he issued an official statement on behalf of the European Commission, announcing that the Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) "is closely monitoring the situation and has already been in contact with the Italian civil protection authorities during the night regarding any help which could be requested".
So far, the Italian authorities have asked the Copernicus emergency management services to supply satellite maps to assess the damage in the affected areas. "This will of course be done", Stylianides said.
The worst-hit towns are Amatrice, Accumoli, Posta and Arquata del Tronto. The shockwaves were felt as far away as Rome.
In the event of a disaster, any request for assistance made by a country must be sent to the civil protection mechanism of the EU. The ERCC coordinates voluntary offers of national support made in response to requests for assistance once these have been made and the Commission may co-fund the measures to get the aid where it is needed.
"No request for international assistance has been made, but if it is, the civil protection mechanism will be activated immediately. We are standing by", Commission spokesperson Alexandre Polack said on Wednesday lunchtime. The EU civil protection mechanism was activated for Italy in 2009 following the earthquake in Aquila, and twice in 2007 for forest fires. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)