Spain on Friday pledged to rebuild the earthquake-hit city of Lorca, as thousands of mourners attended an funeral for the nine victims, dpa reported. Wednesday's 5.2-magnitude quake also injured nearly 300 people. The three most seriously injured victims are said to be improving. "The earthquake was .. strong, with a big impact, but this country is stronger," Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said on announcing a promise to rebuild the city. The government approved a package of measures to restore buildings and to compensate people who lost family members, homes or businesses. Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba did not specify, however, how much the damages would amount to. The government will also revise Spain's anti-quake construction standards, Rubalcaba said. The earthquake damaged an estimated 80 per cent of buildings in the south-eastern city of nearly 100,000 residents. About 9,000 people were left homeless, according to initial estimates by experts evaluating the extent of the damage. The quake also damaged a medieval fortress and nearly all of the city's churches, one of which lost its tower. "Restoration work that had been carried out over 20 years was destroyed," regional Culture Minister Pedro Alberto Cruz said. Earlier Friday, about 3,000 people attended a funeral mass for the victims which was presided over by Crown Prince Felipe and his wife Letizia.
