A nun whose ANSA photo became the
international symbol of a devastating August 24 earthquake in
central Italy said Friday when the first, 6.2-magnitude shock
occurred at 03:36 she thought she was about to die under the
debris.
ANSA photographer Massimo Percossi shot a bloodied, dusty
Sister Marjana Lleshi, 35, shortly after she was rescued from a
retirement home in the Lazio mountain village of Amatrice, which
was largely flattened by the quake and where over 200 are
confirmed dead.
The young nun had been trapped in her room by falling
rubble, and hid under the bed when her calls for help went
unanswered.
Believing her death was imminent, she began texting all her
friends to say goodbye.
She said she did not write to her family in fear this would
cause them too much pain.
After she was rescued, she began texting everyone again to
say she was safe, and that's when the iconic photo was taken.
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