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Italian earthquake death toll rises

Apr 9 2009

The official death toll in the Italian quake has reached 279, including 20 young people, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said.

The government has also increased the sum allocated for emergency aid to £90 million and Mr Berlusconi said quake reconstruction would cost billions.

Strong aftershocks rattled residents, nearly 18,000 of whom are living in tent camps around the stricken central region.

An additional 10,000 homeless people were put up in seaside hotels, out of the quake zone, while the Italian railway provided heated sleeping cars at L'Aquila's main train station, where nearly 700 people spent the night.

Mr Berlusconi said 16 of the dead were children, and of the injured, 100 remained in a serious condition.

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