Momentary fear and panic overcomes Nathalie Cinque whenever she feels a shake. Her thoughts flash back to the early hours of April 6 when a powerful earthquake shook her hometown of L'Aquila, Italy, killing almost 300 people and leaving thousands homeless.

"It all comes rushing back and I am gripped by fear that this is another quake, and we're all done for," she told The Times yesterday, one month after the tragedy.

On that day, Mrs Cinque, originally of Ħamrun, her Italian husband Angelo and sons Simone, 20, and Adriano, 23, scrambled to get into their clothes and rushed out of their fourth-floor apartment just as the quake, which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, hit.

The ground in Abruzzo had been shaking for months and some days before the tragic quake Mrs Cinque had prepared a bag with blankets, water and some bars of chocolate. But in the rush to get out, she forgot it all behind.

"We were too concerned with getting some clothes on and leaving our home. We had to tread over fallen books and magazines to make it out," she said.

"I thought it was the apocalypse."

For two days the family lived in their two cars until they found a room in a hotel in Montesilvano, a coastal town about an hour's drive from L'Aquila. They are still living there crowded in one room but the family is glad to have escaped unscathed.

"When I saw the mass funeral on television, all those coffins lined up, I felt so relieved all of us were safe."

But memories of that fateful night still haunt Mrs Cinque, who moved to L'Aquila 24 years ago, and has lived in the same apartment ever since.

"If there is a thud, making the ground move slightly, or even if Angelo moves in bed, I am gripped by fear and it all comes rushing back."

Mrs Cinque said tremors were still felt in the area daily, making the reconstruction more difficult. The silver lining is that their apartment can be fixed.

"But we don't know when works will start or when we'll be able to go back home."

Her younger son was preparing for his final exams before entering university and is now trying to study on the few books he managed to salvage from the flat. The family were allowed to return to their apartment, accompanied by firemen, to take a few items, but they are far from reclaiming their lives.

"Hopefully he will be able to sit for his exams," she said. Adriano is studying engineering at L'Aquila's university but lectures were cancelled following the quake.

Mrs Cinque moved to Italy soon after she married Angelo, whom she met in Malta while he was serving in the Italian Military Mission. The two celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary last month.

"The hotel manager brought us a cake. It was a nice thought."

She is hoping the town will be rebuilt to its original glory: "It was such a beautiful place, a jewel. Some elderly people, who lived there all their lives, slept in cars for days because they wanted to be close to their houses."

She is adamant she will return to L'Aquila soon: "That is home."