French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy said Tuesday she intends to make a donation to the hospital in L'Aquila, epicentre of the earthquake in her native Italy that has claimed more than 200 lives.

"I want to contribute personally to the huge wellspring of solidarity that has emerged to help the victims by way of a donation to the hospital in L'Aquila," she said in a statement released by the Elysee Palace.

To the people of devastated central Italy, she added: "Believe me that I am fully available to support the reconstruction effort in your beautiful region."

The 41-year-old model-turned-singer wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose humanitarian interests range from the feeding the homeless in Paris to AIDS sufferers worldwide, is a native of Turin, in the north of Italy.

Source: AFP