Rescuers combed through the rubble from the 6.3-magnitude quake, whose epicenter was 95 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Rome. More than 10,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed and as many as 50,000 of the province’s 300,000 people may be homeless. Tens of thousands of tents, along with field kitchens and mobile hospital units, were being rushed to the region. L'Aquila, has been left in a state of chaos, with dozens of buildings collapsed and many others – newer blocks included. Dozens of injured people were waiting outside the city's main hospital, which was only partly open after suffering damage, according to local reports.
Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi refused foreign aid for the emergency, saying that Italians were "proud people" and had sufficient resources to deal with the crisis. However he singled out the United States, announcing that he would accept aid for reconstruction and suggested the USA help rebuild "a small district of a town or a suburb".