Wednesday 8 April 2009

Joanna Griffith-Jones


'I escaped Italian quake by using knotted sheets', reveals British woman whose house collapsed around her.

A British woman who lost her house in the Italian earthquake disaster last night told how she escaped with her life as the building collapsed around her.
Joanna Griffith-Jones, 46, was in bed with her husband Francesco Negroni when the huge tremor - which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale - struck in the early hours of Monday.
The earthquake has left more than 200 dead, 1,500 injured and tens of thousands homeless, with much of the damage done in the medieval city of L'Aquila.

The pair managed to put on their clothes in their third-floor bedroom but, as the masonry tumbled, the stairs disappeared leaving a huge void and forcing them to escape down knotted sheets tied to a doorpost.

Terrifying experience, but lucky, lucky woman.

3 comments:

Robyn G-J said...

Hello

My name is Robyn griffith-Jones and Joanna is my sister. I have just seen your beautiful drawing. Can you send me a copy? One day she will be able to look at this maybe. Now she is living in a tent and has lost everything. But she and francesco are alive. My other sister and I are desperate of ways to help her and have set up a fund so I wondered whether I can use the drawing somehow. Not sure how but would you give me permission?
robyngj@email.com

Anonymous said...

Jo is one of my best childhood friends - we played in our local youth orchestra together and went travelling after school. She always had a wonderful sense of adventure. Like her I also lived in Italy - even visited her in L'Aquila - but returned to London years ago. From seeing her a year ago in London and now like this, my heart breaks for her. It's wonderful to see all this support for her. thank you so much.

Jo (we share the same name!)

Art with Liz said...

As I've said already - I LOVE this blog! Only get to visit every three days or so and what a treat. Great work Sharon.