Pope receives earthquake victims

Pope Francis on Thursday received victims of the earthquake in central Italy.

When the earthquake came in late August in places like Amatrice and Accumoli 299 inhabitants killed. The pope gave in October to visit the region to form a picture of the devastation. The same month the ground shook violently again in the same region, leaving tens of thousands homeless. Many of them, coming from Marche, Lazio, Umbria and Abruzzo, arrived Thursday in audience.

The affected towns and villages still lie in ruins, now covered with a layer of snow. Moreover, it is bitter cold in the area. According to the weather forecast on Friday in Amatrice the mercury drops to 13 degrees below zero.