The bishop among the earthquake victims, the Region declares a state of crisis and appoints the commissioner

Immediate response from the Region in the face of the earthquake that struck the southwestern slope of Etna on March 4. The regional government, convened yesterday afternoon in an extraordinary session of the Council called by President Renato Schifani, has declared a state of crisis and regional emergency for the municipalities of Ragalna, Santa Maria di Licodia, and Adrano. The measure also extends to the Municipality of Motta Sant'Anastasia, where a worrying reactivation of a landslide related to hydrogeological instability has been recorded.

Alongside the emergency declaration, the governor appointed Ing. Gaetano Laudani, head of the Civil Engineering Department of Catania, as delegated commissioner. "We are close to the affected communities - declared President Schifani - this act allows us to quickly activate every tool for assistance to citizens and to initiate urgent safety and reconstruction interventions."

According to estimates from the regional Civil Protection, the damages caused by the 4.5 magnitude earthquake amount to approximately 520,000 euros. These funds will be allocated for the consolidation of buildings and for the assistance of families who had to leave their homes declared uninhabitable. Regarding Motta Sant'Anastasia, the government has allocated about 900,000 euros to address the damage from instability.

Satisfaction was expressed by the President of the Ars, Gaetano Galvagno, who thanked Schifani for the promptness in responding to the mayors' appeal: "These are essential initial measures that can be increased after the technical assessments in the coming days."

While the administrative machinery gets underway, Ragalna received yesterday the spiritual comfort of Archbishop of Catania, Mons. Luigi Renna. The prelate visited the Etnean village, meeting with Mayor Nino Caruso and the parish communities. Mons. Renna focused on the damage suffered by places of worship, particularly the Church of the Madonna del Carmelo and that of Santa Barbara. "The people of Ragalna are resilient and strong - emphasized the Archbishop - the Diocese will do its part, but the role of public administration remains essential." The parish priest, Don Vincenzo Savio Nicolosi, highlighted how the prelate's visit was a sign of deep closeness to the faithful shaken by the event.

On the technical front, the verification work does not stop. Firefighters and Civil Protection are sifting through the homes reported by residents. The numbers describe an evolving situation: out of 391 requests, 124 inspections have been completed. The current balance speaks of 28 partially habitable properties and a number of uninhabitable buildings that has risen from 9 to 11.