A strong earthquake of 6.2 magnitude on the Richter scale has rocked Central Italy. As per the USGS, the quake struck at 03:36 am on Wednesday (local time) 10 km southeast of Norcia, which is a town in the Perugia province.
As per Italian officials, at least six have been reported to be killed and scores are trapped under the rubble. String of tremors were also felt in the city of Rome which lies 150 km away from the epicentre. In fact, a few buildings in the capital shook for a good 20 seconds
Reports also suggest that the city of Amatrice which lay close to the epicentre has been destroyed severely. As per the Mayor, half the city of about 3000 occupants has completely disappeared. Due to the peak of the summers, the city was full of visitors.
As per newspapers, a bridge has collapsed near the city making it even more difficult for emergency services to access a few areas. Reports of a landslide have also come up. An aftershock of magnitude 5.5 was also felt an hour later than the quake.
Helicopters are to be sent in the worst hit areas including Amatrice, Accumoli, Arquata del Tronto, and Posta for accessing the damage. The whole of central Italy has felt tremors along with the Adriatic Sea. Several houses and buildings have suffered immense damage.
The last time a massive earthquake struck Italy was in the year 2009. Back then, 300 people had lost their lives as a 6.3 magnitude earthquake had struck the Anquila region.
Image credit: The Gaurdian
