‘Like L’Aquila quake’: 6.2 earthquake hits central Italy
At least 247 people were killed when a powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake followed by dozens of small aftershocks hit central Italy, officials say. Several cities and towns have seen severe damage or been reduced to rubble, officials said.
25 August 2016
12:42 GMT#ItalyEarthquake Heavy aftershocks im Amatrice. Hospital shaking and crumbling @dwnewspic.twitter.com/JoCpzT3lM9
— Bernd Riegert (@RiegertBernd) August 25, 2016- 10:08 GMT
Some 460 aftershocks have rattled central Italy since the major quake hit on Wednesday, local media report, citing emergency officials.
- 07:37 GMT
Italy’s Council of Ministers is due to meet at 18:00 local time to declare a state of emergency for the affected areas, La Repubblica newspaper reported.
- 05:47 GMT
Statua della #Madonna intatta tra le macerie del #terremoto. Affidiamo a Lei le nostre sofferenze. #Fede#Speranzapic.twitter.com/2gUAygHCnJ
— DanieleSebastianelli (@DanieleSeb) August 25, 2016 - 05:44 GMT
- 05:05 GMT
Rescuers continue to search for survivors in central Italian towns devastated by the earthquake as the death toll rose to 247, the Civil Protection Department said.
- 04:55 GMT
Il mio paesello; un incubo senza fine. #scossa#TerremotoItalia#terremotopic.twitter.com/rG6jbvkuUy
— Valentina Mastrocola (@Mastrocola_Vale) August 25, 2016 - 03:47 GMT
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported that another earthquake, this one of 4.6 magnitude, hit central Italy some 66 kilometers northeast of the town of Terni, which has a population of over 220,000 people. It was the 22nd quake to shake the region in less than 24 hours.
- 03:46 GMT
- 03:14 GMT
At least 86 of the deaths occurred in the small towns of Amatrice and Accumoli, which are located near the quake’s epicenter, about 100 kilometers from Rome.
