Powerful earthquake rocks Italy, injures at least 20 people
On Sunday, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake rocked Italy for the fourth time in three months. Reports say 20 people have been injured in the powerful earthquake.
Rome, Oct 31: A powerful 6.6-magnitude earthquake rocked central Italy on Sunday morning, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
According to reports at least 20 people were injured in the incident. The earthquake is said be the strongest tremor to hit the country in more than three decades.
The earthquake follows tremors last week and comes on the heels of a devastating quake in August, which killed nearly 300 people and flattened entire villages.
The quake - which was felt from Rome to Venice - struck at 0640 GMT (1210 IST) six kilometres north of the small town of Norcia, four days after quakes of 5.5 and 6.1 magnitude hit central Italy.
On August 24, nearly 300 people died in a major quake in the notoriously seismic-prone region.
The quake set dogs barking in the largely-abandoned towns of Norcia, Castelsantagelo, Preci and Visso, where residents had left their homes to sleep in cars or moved to the coast following this week's quakes.
"Everything collapsed. I can see columns of smoke, it's a disaster, a disaster," Marco Rinaldi, the mayor of Ussita, one of the pretty mountain villages hit hardest by the last quake, told journalists.
"I
was
sleeping
in
my
car,
I
saw
hell
break
out,"
he
was
quoted
as
saying.
Italy's
civil
protection
department
said
there
were
"checks
underway
in
all
the
towns
affected
by
this
morning's
quake
to
determine
whether
there
has
been
any
damage
to
people
or
buildings."
Images aired by Italy's Sky News 24 showed monks on their knees praying silently in front of the outdoor statue of St Benedict of Norcia, while scared residents stood by.
The St Benedict basilica itself was reported to have collapsed with today's quake.
OneIndia News