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Powerful earthquake strikes central Italy

Quake magnitude 6.2 followed by long aftershocks that bring death and devastation to towns and villages.

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ITALY QUAKE
The magnitude 6.2 quake struck at 3:36 am (0136 GMT) and was felt across a broad swathe of central Italy, including Rome where residents felt a long swaying followed by aftershocks. [Alessandra Tarantino/AP]
Published On 24 Aug 2016

At least 38 people died in a powerful earthquake that hit central Italy early on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the Civil Protection Department said.

The earthquake struck towns and villages in the mountainous heart of the country, which was making the rescue operation more difficult, said Immacolata Postiglione.

Postiglione said 27 people had died between the towns of Accumoli and Amatrice, and a further 10 people had died in the nearby Arquata area. Later in the press conference, she increased the death toll to 38, without giving further details.

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Rescuers search a crumbled building in Arquata del Tronto, in the Marche region of central Italy. [Sandro Perozzi/AP]
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The earthquake caused buildings to collapse and sent panicked residents fleeing into the streets of numerous towns. [Massimo Percossi/EPA]
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A 5.5 magnitude aftershock hit the region an hour after the initial earthquake. [Remo Casilli/Reuters]
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As rescue efforts to save people trapped under buildings continued, the Civil Protection Department put the official death toll at 38. [Remo Casilli/Reuters]
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The last major earthquake to hit Italy struck the central city of L'Aquila in 2009, killing more than 300 people. [Remo Casilli/Reuters]
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A man is pulled out alive from from beneath rubble after the earthquake hit Amatrice. [Remo Casilli/Reuters]
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People stand by a road after the earthquake struck with a shallow depth of four kilometres. [Emiliano Grillotti/Reuters]
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A spokesman for Matteo Renzi, Italy's prime minister, said on Twitter that the government was following the situation closely. [Crocchioni/EPA]