Strong Earthquake Hits Italy

ROME: A strong earthquake struck Monday in Italy, 60 miles northeast of Rome, and officials say at least 13 people were killed and there were extensive property damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, but ANSA said it was a 5.8 quake, centered at L’Aquila. The quake was felt in Rome and elsewhere in central Italy, ANSA said.

The Italian news agency said there were reports of injuries, and a report that firefighters were trying to get some people out of a collapsed house. The quake destroyed several buildings and drove many residents into the streets, and one report said the dome of the Church of the Holy Souls in L’Aquila collapsed.

The quake struck at about 3.35 a.m. (0135 GMT) and was centred in the mountainous Abruzzo region east of Rome.

Residents in many parts of central Italy felt the quake and some ran out into the streets. Residents of Rome, which is rarely hit by seismic activity, were woken by the quake. Furniture rattled, lights swayed and car alarms went off.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake’s epicentre was believed to be some 60 miles (95 km) from Rome and that its depth was 6.2 miles (10 km). It initially put the scale of the quake at 6.7 but later lowered it 6.3.

The quake was the lastest and strongest in a series to hit the l’Aquila area on Sunday and Monday. Earthquakes can be particularly dangerous in parts of Italy because some buildings are centuries-old.