Italy Quake Death Toll Jumps to 207; Rescue Efforts Continue

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi flew over the devastated area in a helicopter.

"The government is here," Berlusconi said and vowed to rebuild a new town for young families. He also promised 30 million euros, or $40.6 million in aid.

Berlusconi said that rescue efforts for the 15 people missing would continue for two more days "until it is certain that there is no one else alive." One official working at a camp, however, said that the hopes of finding survivors were slim.

The 6.3 magnitude quake's epicenter struck near L'Aquila, a 13th-century city of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architectural treasures northeast of Rome. It was Italy's worst in three decades.

In L'Aquila, the main town in the Abruzzo region, emergency efforts searched for residents trapped under rubble. Two buildings in the city's suburb of Pettino collapsed following aftershocks.

According to Berlusconi, 100 of the 1,000 injured are in serious condition and 190 of the people killed in the quake have been identified, the Associated Press reported. Tens of thousands were left homeless. By early Tuesday, Italy's Civil Protection Department plans to set up 7,000 tents but some residents slept in their cars or stayed with relatives outside the quake zone.

"Italy is one of the most geologically complex locations," said David Applegate, a senior science adviser for earthquake and geologic hazards at the U.S. Geological Survey on the NewsHour. "Not only do you have these two giant plates coming, but you also have parts that are trying to squeeze out to either side. And that's why you have this big backbone that's essentially running straight down the axis."

Italians whose houses were destroyed in the earthquake woke up Tuesday morning to face the reality of rebuilding.

"I can't even bear to think of the future, because I have no idea what we will do," said Angela Camon, a resident of L'Aquila.

Other survivors said they would move away from the area. "I won't remain here in L'Aquila, I'm far too scared," said Antoneta Florentina.