Abruzzo (photo by: mirkosim / flickr.com)

The Italian government has not asked for international search and rescue help but foreign emergency services, also in Poland, are on the stand-by, monitoring the situation. In the first search and rescue stage, what's most needed is first aid and medical equipment. Later, it's water, food, clothes and blankets for survivors living in temporary shelters. Should Italy request international help in this second stage, Poland is prepared to serve.

Parallel to the rescue operation there is a debate on why the locals have not been warned. The earthquake had been predicted by an Italian seismologist, Gioacchino Giuliani. The scientist had been warning about the earthquake over loudspeakers on a van driving around L'Aquila, but his efforts were stopped by authorities. He was put under investigation and accused of causing panic. Nobody would listen to his arguments and his website was censored. Now the Italian government is having a hard time answering questions about the silenced scientist.

Dr Paweł Wiejacz, seismologist at the Polish Academy of Science takes the side of the silenced Italian scientist in that the earthquake could have been predicted. Of other endangered regions of Europe he points to Greece and Romania. In his opinion, we can expect even a more serious disaster there in the coming years.

Click on the audio icon to listen to the report by Joanna Najfeld.