A major earthquake struck central Italy on Wednesday, 24th August 2016 in the early hours of the morning. The 6.2 magnitude quake struck a cluster of mountain communities 140 km (85 miles) east of Rome as people slept, destroying hundreds of homes. According to Reuters, the death toll from the natural disaster has climbed to at least 250 as of today, and could rise further with rescue teams working for a second day to try to find survivors under the rubble of flattened towns.
At this time, the Sathya Sai International Organisation (SSIO) Disaster Relief Committee is coordinating efforts with the local and international Sathya Sai Organisations in Italy. The situation is being assessed and more details on how we can best serve our brothers and sisters affected by this natural disaster will be available soon.
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba says that sincere prayer is one of the most effective ways to assuage the grief and suffering of victims of natural disasters. Let us all pray together to Swami to shower His divine blessings on our brothers and sisters afflicted by the earthquake in Italy.