At least 38 are dead in a toll that will surely climb after two earthquakes struck central Italy early Wednesday morning near the town of Amatrice, turning buildings to rubble in the town of less than 3,000 in the Rieti province of the Lazio region.
The first, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake, struck at 3:36 a.m., followed by a5.5-magnitude temblor at 4:33 a.m., both near the town of Norcia in the Umbria region. Over a three-hour period, about 40 quakes shook the region.
…Towns across three regions — Umbria, Lazio and Marche — were devastated by the quakes, which could be felt as far away as Bologna in the north and Naples in the south. The towns of Accumoli, Amatrice, Arquata del Tronto and Pescara del Tronto were reported to be among the most heavily damaged.
The quake was the largest in Italy since 2009, when a 6.3 temblor struck near L’Aquila killing nearly 300 people.
Video from the quake:
Footage of a swimming pool in Perugia.
