6.2 magnitude earthquake hits Italy

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A powerful pre-dawn earthquake hit Italy this morning. The epicentre was at Norcia, that’s about 170 kilometres northeast of Rome. And while the quake was felt in Rome, the hardest hit area was the town of Amatrice

People in the hardest hit areas are recording the aftermath and posting images on social media.

A video appeared on Facebook Live this morning showing rescuers and victims in Amatrice. It’s mayor says “the town isn’t here anymore.”

The magnitude-6.2 quake struck at 3:36 a-m local time. At least 38 people have been killed – 17 deaths in Amatrice alone and the toll is expected to rise as crews reach homes in more remote areas.

The town of Accumoli was also hit hard. A little more than 600 people live in the town.

A number of aftershocks have followed the quake.

The European Union’s top crisis management official says Italy has requested satellite images of earthquake-hit parts of the country as the Italian government tries to establish the scope of the damage.