A 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit central Italy in the early hours of Wednesday (0300 CET, 0100 UTC).
The earthquake struck a series of towns some 63 miles north-east the capital of Rome, leaving at least ten dead, according to the BBC, and countless more trapped under the rubble.
The town of Amatrice was the worst hit, sustaining most of the casualties as significant rescue effort is currently underway. It is feared many more would perish if not rescued from the rubble on time.
“The roads in and out of town are cut off. Half the town is gone. There are people under the rubble. There’s been a landslide and a bridge might collapse,” the mayor of Amatrice, Sergio Perozzi told RAI radio.
Nearby towns Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto also sustained damage and casualties.
The earthquake reportedly occurred for two minutes, with aftershocks reverberating for the next twenty. “It was so strong. It seemed the bed was walking across the room by itself with us on it,” Lina Mercantini of Ceselli, Umbria, told Reuters.
63 miles away in the capital, some buildings shook for as long as 20 seconds.