wary coexistence
Civil Defense Minister Musumeci acknowledged the country’s response had been slow, but insisted the government was now prepared to do everything it could to mitigate the risk.
“We Southerners are a little aloof, a little fatalistic, used to knocking on wood,” he said, adding that people who choose to live there know the risks and must now take responsibility. “We only remember (volcanoes) when the ground shakes, which is a big mistake. “We must remain vigilant and coexist with danger.”
Authorities have so far evacuated 250 people from their homes while conducting safety checks on the building and are briefing residents on evacuation plans. Now, for the first time, ministers are discussing whether to pay residents to leave.
“If there are people who say, ‘Sir Government, with all due respect, I don’t want to stay here,’ what should the Government do in these situations? Do you support this decision? Could you please help them? Or turn around?” Musumeci said the issue was “central to the agenda.”
“The government also plans to ultimately ban new construction,” he said. “It is impossible to consider urban development at the same time as large-scale evacuation.”
The government has pledged an initial €500 million to the most vulnerable areas, which will fall short if thousands of people choose to emigrate.
But what could be equally problematic for the government is that more people will want to stay, protecting their homes and avoiding being chased by their families amid fears of looting.
“I have no confidence,” said Muscara, an independent local politician who has lived in the danger zone his entire life. “People have lived here for generations. They are used to earthquakes. “He said this was his land and he didn’t want to leave.”
