5 Bravest hurt in fire
A POWERFUL earthquake in Italy spared human life Sunday but struck at the nation’s identity, destroying a Benedictine cathedral and other beloved landmarks that had survived the earlier jolts across a mountainous region of small historic towns.
Lost or severely damaged in the shaking were ancient Roman walls, Gothic and Baroque churches and centuries-old paintings crushed beneath tons of brick. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the nation’s “soul is disturbed” by the series of quakes, starting with the deadly Aug. 24 event that killed nearly 300 people and the biggest of them all, Sunday morning’s 6.6-magnitude quake that was the strongest to hit Italy in 36 years. There were no reports of fatalities Sunday.
The worst damage was reported in Norcia, a town in Umbria closest to the epicenter. Two churches were destroyed, including the 14th century Basilica of St. Benedict, built on the traditional birthplace of St. Benedict, founder of the Benedictine monastic order. FIREFIGHTERS battled a persistent blaze that raged through a commercial building in Manhattan on Sunday.
The blaze started just after 1 a.m., when a fire broke out in the basement of a five-story building on W. 29th St. near Fifth Ave., an FDNY spokesman said.
The building was likely empty when the fire broke out.
Eleven firefighters minor injuries, to officials.
An FDNY spokesman said that deep-seated smoke in a boiler room made the fire difficult to control.
More than 200 firefighters were called to put out the blaze, which was finally under control by about 7 p.m. Sunday night.
The cause of the fire was being investigated. suffered according