Many dead after earthquake hits central Italy destroying entire towns

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake has struck central Italy, killing many people and levelling buildings as people slept. One mayor has said that his town ‘isn’t here any more’. The quake struck just after 3.30 am local time and was felt across a broad section of central Italy, including the capital Rome where people in homes in the historic centre felt a long swaying followed by aftershocks. First images of damage showed debris in the street and some collapsed buildings in towns and villages that dot much of the Umbrian countryside. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre put the magnitude at 6.1 and the US Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.2 with the epicentre at Norcia, about 105 miles north east of Rome, and with a relatively shallow depth of six miles. The hardest-hit towns were reported as Amatrice, Accumoli and Norcia, with people running into the streets as aftershocks continued into the early morning. The mayor of Amatrice near Rieti, Sergio Pirozzi, told state-run RAI radio and Sky TG24 that people were buried under collapsed buildings, the lights had gone out and heavy equipment was needed to clear streets covered with debris. | Metro News via IFTTT

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