Death Toll In Italy’s Deadly Quake Rises To 38
MEP: The death toll in a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck central Italy has risen to at least 37 people while 150 others missing, as rescuers search for survivors.
The quake hit at 01:36 GMT with an epicenter 76 kilometers southeast of the city of Perugia, the US Geological Survey reported.
The official death toll from the civil protection agency on Wednesday came hours after rescue efforts to save people trapped under collapsed buildings.
Red Cross volunteers in Lazio region are heading out to the town of Rieti to offer material and psychological assistance to those affected.
The quake hit at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome.
The shaking appears to have woken up quite a few residents in central Italy. Besides Rome, aftershocks were also felt in Florence.
The tremors lasted for about 20-30 seconds, eyewitnesses say.
Local authorities were unsure of the full extent of casualties, but 11 people were reported dead including children in the neighbouring villages of Pescara del Tronto and Arquata del Tronto. An elderly couple and a boy were among the victims.
A 5.5 magnitude aftershock hit the same region an hour after the initial quake.
