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Baku, August 24, AZERTAC
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck central Italy, leaving at least 21 people dead and many others trapped under rubble, reports say, according to BBC.
"Half the town is gone," said the mayor of Amatrice, one of the worst areas affected.
A family of four were feared dead in the rubble of their house in the nearby town of Accumoli.
The quake hit at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome, at a shallow depth of 10km.
Some buildings in the capital shook for 20 seconds.
Officials warned the number of fatalities was likely to rise. The head of the civil protection department compared the earthquake's intensity to Aquila in April 2009 in which 309 people died.
AZERTAG.AZ :Earthquake leaves at least 21 dead in central Italy
