Published on Oct 30, 2016 Italy earthquake: strong 6.6 magnitude quake hits centre of the country near Norcia
Italy earthquake: Powerful tremor strikes central Italy near Perugia
Italy earthquake: 6.6-magnitude tremor rocks nation's center
A strong earthquake has struck near Norcia in central Italy, destroying numerous buildings. The quakes come nearly two months after a major earthquake killed almost 300 people and destroyed several towns. Sunday's quake measured magnitude 6.6, larger than August's quake and aftershocks last week. It is thought to be Italy's most violent in decades. A number of injuries were reported but no deaths so far. Many locals were evacuated after last week's quakes. Tremors were felt in the capital Rome, and as far away as Venice in the north. It was at a depth of only 1.5km (0.9 miles). The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the quake was 68km south-east of the regional centre of Perugia and close to the small town of Norcia. Monks at the monastery of San Benedetto, an international Benedictine community in Norcia, tweeted an image of the Basilica of St Benedict destroyed by the earthquake. They said that people were trapped in the main square as nearby buildings were liable to collapse.
ROME – The Latest on the powerful earthquake that has rocked already stricken central and southern Italy (all times local):
9:15 a.m.
Emergency workers are racing to determine if any people have been killed or injured in the latest earthquake to rock central and southern Italy.
The Sunday morning quake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 was centered in a mountainous area straddling the central Italy regions of Umbria and Marche.
The head of the civil protection authority in the March region, Cesare Spuri, says there have been reports of buildings collapsing in many cities.
A pair of powerful quakes on Wednesday, technically aftershocks from an August earthquake that killed nearly 300 people, may have helped save lives on Sunday.
Many people still were sleeping in cars or had been evacuated to shelters or hotels in other areas following those strong jolts, leaving the most quake-prone historic centers largely empty of residents.
__
8:00 a.m.
A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 has rocked central and southern Italy after a week of temblors that have left thousands homeless.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center put the magnitude at 6.6 or 6.5 with an epicenter 132 kilometers northeast of Rome and 67 kilometers east of Perugia, near the epicenter of last week's temblors. It struck at 7:40 a.m.