A strong earthquake struck a mountainous stretch of central Italy early Wednesday, killing at least 241 people, trapping scores under debris and setting off tremors that awakened residents in Rome, nearly 100 miles to the southwest.
Towns in three regions — Umbria, Lazio and Marche — were devastated by the quake, which could be felt as far away as Bologna in the north and Naples in the south.
In the wake of the quake central Italy farmers are struggling to find shelter for their animals in the wake of the earthquake, devastating three towns. In many regions barns where severely damaged and there is no longer a place to shelter the cattle, and the mechanical milking system no longer work. At another farm five dairy workers fled the area, leaving the farmer shorthanded to milk his 180 cow herd. The risk of mastitis is increasing if a milking routine isn’t established soon.