A group of Italian scientists went on trial Tuesday for failing to predict an earthquake that killed more than 300 people in central Italy in 2009 despite signs of increased seismic activity in the area.
The seven defendants -- six scientists and one government official -- are accused of manslaughter in a case that some see as an unfair indictment of science.
Prosecutors say residents around the city of L'Aquila in the mountainous Abruzzo region should have been warned to flee their homes in the days before the quake. "We simply want justice," L'Aquila prosecutor Alfredo Rossini told reporters.
The injured parties are asking for 50 million euros ($68 million) in damages.
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Click here to read an earlier article about the earthquake
