Earthquake: 37 Dead, 150 Missing in Italy

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck
central Italy, leaving at least 37 people
dead and 150 missing, as rescuers search
for survivors.
Many of the dead were in the village of
Pescara del Tronto which was levelled to
the ground and there were fears the
number of casualties could rise.

Much of the town of Amatrice was reduced
to rubble and a family of four were feared
dead nearby in Accumoli.
The quake hit at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 100km
(65 miles) north-east of Rome.
Although it struck at a shallow depth of
10km, its intensity was compared to the
Aquila earthquake in April 2009 in which
309 people died. The epicentre was around
Accumoli where several people died.
Some buildings in the capital shook for 20
seconds as the quake struck the regional
border area of Umbria, Lazio and Le
Marche. It was felt from Bologna in the
north to Naples in the south. Some 80
aftershocks have been reported since.
Local authorities were unsure of the full
extent of casualties, but the highest
numbers were reported in the small village
of Pescara del Tronto, where 10 people
were reported dead, among them children.
Twenty people have been taken to hospital.
Two boys aged four and seven were pulled
alive from the rubble of the house they had
been staying in with their grandmother,
Ansa news agency reported. Rescuers said
they had been sheltering under a bed.
More damage was reported a short distance
up the road in Arquata del Tronto and
rescuers were still trying to reach the
remote village of Peracchia di Acqua Santa
Terme a few kilometres to the east.