At least 247 people were killed in the earthquake in Italy, reported according to the Department of civil protection of Italy. A powerful earthquake 10 km (6,2 miles) South-East of Norcia at 3:36 am.

The civil protection Agency of Italy announced that the death toll in the earthquake at least 247 people. 53 of them were in the city of Amatrice and at least 100 people were injured.
Other victims were registered in the nearby cities Accumuli and Arquata del Tronto.
More than 1,000 people were displaced by the earthquake in the safe zone, and civil protection Agency said that residents were not allowed to sleep in the ruined town of Amatrice in the evening.

A series of strong aftershocks have been felt since the initial quake, including a magnitude 4.7, struck a few miles East of Norcia early Thursday morning local time, according to Geological service of the United States.

The death toll from the quake is expected to rise as rescuers continue to work with the regular shocks, which poses a constant threat.
"Now we feel terrible pain," said the Prime Minister of Italy, Renzi once visited some of the affected areas. "Italy - the family that was affected, but we are not going to surrender."

Addressing the nation on Wednesday, Renzi has promised to spare no effort at a critical time after the earthquake when lives can still be saved. "In difficult times, Italy knows what to do," he said.

Little cities of Italy suffered greatly from the earthquake of a magnitude of 6.2, which occurred in the middle of the night, rescuers are frantically digging under the rubble of destroyed houses and apartments, to find survivors.

Amatrice, a town with a population of about 2,000 people in the North of Italy, Lazio is in ruins. But among the wreckage there is a tall clock tower, the clock stopped at the time when the earthquake occurred.
sections: Accidents, World News