Hazardous Living: Italian seismologists tragically convicted of manslaughter
Today, six seismologists and one government official were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six years in prison. The seismologists and official had been on trial for not adequately warning the public about the danger of a potential earthquake prior to the L'Aquila earthquake in April 2009 that ****** 309 people. This ruling makes the earthquake and the aftermath a double tragedy. It was tragic enough that people lost their lives as a result of the natural disaster. Now the court has compounded the tragedy. What it will mean for seismology and hazards mitigation everywhere remains to be seen — but the implications are troubling.
