The earthquake that struck the town of L’Aquila, in central Italy, on 6 April has killed more than 270 people, injured more than 1500, made 40-50 000 people homeless, and seriously damaged the main hospital, officials from the Italian Red Cross and the World Health Organization have said.

The quake, which had magnitude 6.3, underscores the need to make hospitals safe in emergencies, said WHO.

L’Aquila’s 500 bed hospital, built 15 years ago, had to be evacuated because part of it had …