Earthquake In Central Italy Leaves 38 Dead,Many Missing

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck central Italy, leaving at least 38 people dead and 150 missing, as rescuers search for survivors.

Many of the dead were in Accumoli, close to the epicentre, and a short distance away in Amatrice, which was largely reduced to rubble.

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

The quake struck at a shallow depth of 10km and its intensity was compared to that of the Aquila earthquake in April 2009 in which 309 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 28 deaths were reported in Accumoli and Amatrice.

At least 11 people were reported dead including children in the neighbouring villages of Arquata del Tronto and Pescara del Tronto. Hundreds of people were injured across the region, officials said.

The mayor of Arquata del Tronto, Aleandro Petrucci, spoke of a disaster. "The village isn't there any more. Almost all the houses in Pescara del Tronto have collapsed."

Some of the worst damage was in the town of Amatrice, where rescue efforts were under way to find survivors. At least 17 people in the town died and several more were missing, including three nuns.

An elderly couple and a boy were among the victims there while 20 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 reports. Rescuers said they had been sheltering under a bed.

"The roads in and out of town are cut off," said mayor Sergio Pirozzi. "Half the town is gone. There are people under the rubble. There's been a landslide and a bridge might collapse.

"There are tens of victims, so many under the rubble. We're preparing a place for the bodies."

The local hospital was described as unusable and survivors were taken to nearby towns for treatment.

In Accumoli, a short distance to the north of Amatrice, four people were confirmed dead and eight more were missing.

"There is a family of four under a collapsed house and sadly there are two small children among them," said Mayor Stefano Petrucci.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella described the disaster as "a moment of grief and of appeal to shared responsibility".

Mr Renzi promised affected areas that "no family, no city, no hamlet will be left alone".

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