Italy earthquake: At least 38 dead including two children

At least 38 people including two children have died after a powerful earthquake struck central Italy in the early hours today, according to local officials.

The shallow quake, estimated to have struck after 3:30am at a depth of six miles, was felt across a broad section of central Italy, including the capital Rome where people in homes in the historic centre felt a long swaying followed by aftershocks.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre put the magnitude at 6.1. The US Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.2, with the epicenter at Norcia, about 105 miles northwest of Rome.
    

Deaths were reported in three villages in a mountainous area straddling the regions of Lazio and Marche: Amatrice, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto. 

Among the dead are 10 people in the village of Pescara del Tronto, six in Accumoli and five in Amatrice. There also children among the dead. The death toll is expected to continue to rise as rescue teams reach the remote sites where the damage is worst. 
    

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