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| Amatrice, Italy, 'isn't here any more' after strong earthquake, says mayor | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| At least five people have been killed and many others left trapped under rubble after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck central Italy, devastating dozens of mountain villages, with residents fleeing into the streets and blackouts near the epicentre. | At least five people have been killed and many others left trapped under rubble after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck central Italy, devastating dozens of mountain villages, with residents fleeing into the streets and blackouts near the epicentre. |
| The mayor of the small town of Amatrice said residents were buried under debris and the town “isn’t here any more”. | The mayor of the small town of Amatrice said residents were buried under debris and the town “isn’t here any more”. |
| The strong earthquake struck at 3.36am and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy. | The strong earthquake struck at 3.36am and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy. |
| Close to the epicentre of the quake near the town of Norcia in the region of Umbria, witnesses told Italian media that numerous buildings had collapsed in communities, with an increase in the death toll highly likely. | Close to the epicentre of the quake near the town of Norcia in the region of Umbria, witnesses told Italian media that numerous buildings had collapsed in communities, with an increase in the death toll highly likely. |
| The hardest-hit places were reported as Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, with residents running into the streets as aftershocks continued into the early morning hours. As daylight dawned, residents and civil protection workers began digging out with shovels and bulldozers as dazed residents huddled in the open streets. | The hardest-hit places were reported as Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, with residents running into the streets as aftershocks continued into the early morning hours. As daylight dawned, residents and civil protection workers began digging out with shovels and bulldozers as dazed residents huddled in the open streets. |
| Sergio Pirozzi, the mayor in Amatrice, near Rieti, reported extensive damage in his mountain village that was packed with visitors at the peak of the summer season. | Sergio Pirozzi, the mayor in Amatrice, near Rieti, reported extensive damage in his mountain village that was packed with visitors at the peak of the summer season. |
| “Half the town is gone,” he told RAI state television. “There are people under the rubble … There’s been a landslide and a bridge might collapse.” He said access to the village had been blocked, making it difficult for rescue services to get through by road. | “Half the town is gone,” he told RAI state television. “There are people under the rubble … There’s been a landslide and a bridge might collapse.” He said access to the village had been blocked, making it difficult for rescue services to get through by road. |
| He later added: “Now that daylight has come, we see that the situation is even more dreadful than we feared with buildings collapsed, people trapped under the rubble and no sound of life. | |
| “The aim now is to save as many lives as possible. There are voices under the rubble, we have to save the people there.” | |
| Amatrice is famous in Italy as a beauty spot and is a popular holiday destination for Romans seeking cool mountain air at the height of the summer. | Amatrice is famous in Italy as a beauty spot and is a popular holiday destination for Romans seeking cool mountain air at the height of the summer. |
| Stefano Petrucci, mayor of Accumoli, near the epicentre, said the situation as dawn broke was worse than feared. | Stefano Petrucci, mayor of Accumoli, near the epicentre, said the situation as dawn broke was worse than feared. |
| “Now that daylight has come, we see that the situation is even more dreadful than we feared with buildings collapsed, people trapped under the rubble and no sound of life.” | “Now that daylight has come, we see that the situation is even more dreadful than we feared with buildings collapsed, people trapped under the rubble and no sound of life.” |
| First images of damage showed debris in the street and some collapsed buildings in towns and villages that dot much of the Umbrian countryside. | 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 tremors were sufficiently strong to wake residents of central Rome, some 150 km (90 miles) away. | The tremors were sufficiently strong to wake residents of central Rome, some 150 km (90 miles) away. |
| The US Geological Survey said the quake hit near the town of Norcia in the region of Umbria at 3.36am. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre put the magnitude at 6.1 and said the epicentre was north-east of Rome, near Rieti. | The US Geological Survey said the quake hit near the town of Norcia in the region of Umbria at 3.36am. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre put the magnitude at 6.1 and said the epicentre was north-east of Rome, near Rieti. |
| Italy’s civil protection agency said the earthquake was “severe”. Fire department spokesman Luca Cari said “there have been reports of victims” in the quake zone, but he did not have any precise details. | Italy’s civil protection agency said the earthquake was “severe”. Fire department spokesman Luca Cari said “there have been reports of victims” in the quake zone, but he did not have any precise details. |
| The first two confirmed victims were an elderly couple whose home collapsed in Pescara del Tronto in the Marche region, east of the epicentre, according to national broadcaster Rai. | The first two confirmed victims were an elderly couple whose home collapsed in Pescara del Tronto in the Marche region, east of the epicentre, according to national broadcaster Rai. |
| Aleandro Petrucci, the mayor of nearby Arquata del Tronto, said Pescara was one of “two or three hamlets that have just completely disintegrated.” | |
| Another person died in Accumoli and two corpses were recovered from the rubble of a collapsed building in Amatrice. | Another person died in Accumoli and two corpses were recovered from the rubble of a collapsed building in Amatrice. |
| A family of four including two young children were trapped, feared dead, in their collapsed house in Accumoli, according to its mayor. | A family of four including two young children were trapped, feared dead, in their collapsed house in Accumoli, according to its mayor. |
| Lina Mercantini of Ceselli, Umbria, told Reuters: “It was so strong. It seemed the bed was walking across the room by itself with us on it.” | Lina Mercantini of Ceselli, Umbria, told Reuters: “It was so strong. It seemed the bed was walking across the room by itself with us on it.” |
| Urbani, in the town of Scheggino, said: “Dear God it was awful. The walls creaked and all the books fell off the shelves.” | Urbani, in the town of Scheggino, said: “Dear God it was awful. The walls creaked and all the books fell off the shelves.” |
| A resident of the Rieti region, which is between Rome and the epicentre of the quake, told the Rainews24 channel that she and most of her neighbours had come out onto the street after feeling “very strong shaking”. | A resident of the Rieti region, which is between Rome and the epicentre of the quake, told the Rainews24 channel that she and most of her neighbours had come out onto the street after feeling “very strong shaking”. |
| A 5.5 magnitude aftershock hit the same region an hour after the initial quake. | A 5.5 magnitude aftershock hit the same region an hour after the initial quake. |
| Witness said the quake rattled furniture and swayed lights in most of central Italy. | Witness said the quake rattled furniture and swayed lights in most of central Italy. |
| Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s spokesman said the government was in touch with the country’s civil protection agency and following the situation closely. | Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s spokesman said the government was in touch with the country’s civil protection agency and following the situation closely. |
| The last major earthquake to hit Italy struck the central city of L’Aquila in 2009, killing more than 300 people. | The last major earthquake to hit Italy struck the central city of L’Aquila in 2009, killing more than 300 people. |
| A refuge on the Gran Sasso mountain, popular with hikers and climbers, said on its Facebook page that a large piece of rock had collapsed in Wednesday’s quake. | A refuge on the Gran Sasso mountain, popular with hikers and climbers, said on its Facebook page that a large piece of rock had collapsed in Wednesday’s quake. |
| Italy is often shaken by earthquakes. Another quake hit the northern Emilia Romagna region in May 2012, when two violent shocks 10 days apart left 23 people dead and 14,000 others homeless. | Italy is often shaken by earthquakes. Another quake hit the northern Emilia Romagna region in May 2012, when two violent shocks 10 days apart left 23 people dead and 14,000 others homeless. |