6.3 Earthquake Hits Central Italy
Italy was struck by a strong earthquake today that left fatalities in the central province of L’Aquila, the Civil Protection Agency said. At least 13 people were killed, Agence France-Presse reported, citing Sky TG24.
The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck at 3:32 a.m. local time, 95 kilometers (59 miles) northeast of Rome at a depth of 10 kilometers, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Buildings shook and car alarms went off in the Italian capital during the quake, which lasted about one minute.
The epicenter was 6 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital, L’Aquila, a town with a population of 68,500 in the Abruzzo region, where injuries and damaged buildings were reported by the Ansa news agency.
A dormitory building in L’Aquila partially collapsed, Ansa said. About 15,000 people were without power in the province of L’Aquila, according to the news agency.
The Civil Protection Agency called an emergency meeting to assess damage, Luca Spoletini said in a telephone interview. Italian officials put the quake’s magnitude at 5.8, he said.
