Long before the sun's first rays touched the ruins of Amatrice on August 25, they were hard at work. Amid the mountains of rubble left by the 6.2-magnitude earthquake, rescue workers, firefighters and volunteers continued their grim search.
Thousands had come to help, from all over Italy and across Europe. According to the national civil protection agency, more than half the 5,400 people who have joined the mammoth rescue effort are volunteers.
