Foreign nationals among missing earthquake victims

IMPACT – HIGH

Following a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in central Italy and several aftershocks, the U.S. Embassy has advised U.S. citizens to avoid affected regions and has restricted travel for embassy employees and their dependents, except for essential travel. The British foreign minister has indicated that U.K. citizens are among the victims.

Key points:

• Employers should make sure that all employees and foreign nationals in Italy are accounted for.
• Business visitors and tourists in Italy who are not affected by the earthquake should notify their employers and families of their whereabouts and update their social media pages.
• The U.S. Embassy issued a security alertWednesday advising individuals to avoid the regions of central Italy near Amatrice, Accumoli, Arquata del Tronto, and Pescara del Tronto.

Background: The earthquake hit the central Italian towns of Amatrice and Accumoli, about 80 miles northeast of Rome, Wednesday morning, and aftershocks were felt in Umbria, Lazio and Le Marche. Italian authorities have reported at least 250 people dead, while search and rescue efforts are underway for dozens of missing individuals. Transportation, electricity and other services in the affected regions have been disrupted.

BAL Analysis: Employers should account for all employees in Italy. Foreign nationals may wish to visit their embassy websites or the Italian Department of Civil Protection’s website (Italian only) for updates.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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Source: Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP