Several killed in Italian quake Earthquake Earthquake, Several, Italian, killed

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Several killed in Italian quake
Earthquake scene in L'Aquila, Italy
A massive rescue operation is under way in L'Aquila and surrounding areas

At least 13 people have been killed in a powerful earthquake that struck central Italy, Italian officials say.

The magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit at 0332 (0132 GMT) about 95km (60 miles) north-east of the capital, Rome, at a depth of 10km.

Four children were said to be among the dead, with reports of more fatalities in and around the city of L'Aquila.

A civil protection official told the BBC that 3,000 to 10,000 buildings may have been damaged by the earthquake.

Agostino Miozzo said that thousands could have been made homeless. He described scenes of panic, but said that rescue workers were on the scene.

Television footage of L'Aquila showed a number of collapsed buildings.

Officials said they feared the death toll would rise as workers made their way through the rubble.

Aftershocks

L'Aquila, a medieval town of about 70,000 inhabitants with a number of old buildings, is the capital of the mountainous Abruzzo region.

Italian journalist Paulo Pacitti told the BBC that the city centre had been hard hit. "All the people are now on the road, queuing - trying to reach a safe area," he said.
Map

The earthquake was also felt in Rome, where the BBC correspondent said he was woken up by the shaking.

An aftershock with a magnitude of 4.8 was reported about an hour later by the US Geological Survey.

Two smaller earthquakes struck the same region of Italy on Sunday but caused no damage.

Powerful earthquakes are relatively rare in Italy. In 2002, an earthquake in the southern Italian town of San Giuliano di Puglia killed more than 20 people.

In 1997, 13 people died when a strong earthquake struck Italy's central region.