Earthquake leaves at least 13 dead in central Italy

24 August 2016 Europe

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck central Italy, leaving at least 13 people dead and others trapped under rubble, Italian officials said.

"Half the town is gone," said the mayor of Amatrice, one of the worst areas affected.

A family of four were feared dead in the rubble of their house in the nearby town of Accumoli.

The quake hit at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome, at a shallow depth of 10km.

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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.
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Rescuers were still trying to reach the remote village of Peracchia di Acqua Santa Terme a few kilometres to the east.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37171953

Italy Earthquake Kills at Least 120, Reduces Towns to Rubble

By PAOLO SANTALUCIA, FRANCES D'EMILIO AND NICOLE WINFIELD, ASSOCIATED PRESS AMATRICE, Italy — Aug 24, 2016, 1:51 PM ET

Rescue crews using bulldozers and their bare hands raced to dig out survivors from a strong earthquake that reduced three central Italian towns to rubble Wednesday. The death toll stood at 120 but the number of dead and missing was uncertain given the huge number of vacationers in the area for summer's final days.

Residents wakened before dawn by the temblor emerged from their crumbled homes to find what they described as apocalyptic scenes "like Dante's Inferno," with entire blocks of buildings turned into piles of sand and rock, thick dust choking the air and a putrid smell of gas.

"The town isn't here anymore," said Sergio Pirozzi, the mayor of the hardest-hit town, Amatrice. "I believe the toll will rise."

The magnitude 6 quake struck at 3:36 a.m. and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy, including Rome, where residents woke to a long swaying followed by aftershocks. The temblor shook the Lazio region and Umbria and Le Marche on the Adriatic coast.

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