Italy earthquake leaves 21 dead, Amatrice town in ruins A man is rescued alive from the ruins following an earthquake in Amatrice, central Italy. REUTERS
A man is rescued alive from the ruins following an earthquake in Amatrice, central Italy. REUTERS

A man is rescued alive from the ruins following an earthquake in Amatrice, central Italy. REUTERS

A strong, shallow earthquake hit central Italy early Wednesday, leaving terrified residents huddled outside collapsed buildings overnight and an unknown number of people trapped beneath the rubble. At least 21 people have died as a result of the 6.2-magnitude earthquake, according to CNN affiliate Rai, all in three badly-affected villages in a mountainous area of central Italy. Ten people were killed in the village of Pescara del Tronto, six in Accumoli and five in Amatrice, Rai reported. The earthquake hit 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of Norcia at 3:36 a.m., the United States Geological Survey said. Its tremors rattled Rome — about 100 miles away.

In Amatrice, in the north of Italy’s Lazio region, the town has been left in ruins. “The town is no more,” Mayor Sergio Pirozzi told the affiliate. “I have an appeal to make: we have access roads to the town cut off and people under the rubble, help us.”

He said there was no power, and it was crucial for rescue crews to get to the town. Rescue workers called Amatrice residents’ cellphones, and tried to get to those who answered, the affiliate reported. If there was no answer, rescuers moved on to the next person.

The mayor of nearby Accumoli, Stefano Petrucci, told Rai that newer buildings were the most damaged, while some of the more historic buildings suffered less damage. “We’re digging, digging… hoping to find someone alive,” he said.

While the number of people trapped under the rubble is unknown, rescuers are focusing on finding survivors, said Fabrizio Curcio, head of Italy’s civil protection. Tommaso della Longa, a spokesman for the Red Cross, said the images coming out of Amatrice are grim.

“The picture we got from our delegate in Amatrice are telling us a terrible story of a small city almost completely destroyed,” he said. “The situation is difficult at the moment.” The priority is to find survivors, he said.

“These areas are in central Italy and are in middle of mountains and valleys,” he said. “There are small houses in the middle of the valley that are completely alone and they need help. It’ll take some time to reach them.” Amatrice is known for its traditional all’amatriciana pasta sauce, and was gearing up to hold a festival celebrating the recipe this weekend.-(CNN)

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