6.2-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Italy: Up To 37 Killed As City Is Totally Destroyed

This is so tragic! A devastating earthquake has hit central Italy, and the damage to the town of Amatrice is so massive the entire town has been nearly wiped out. The 6.2 magnitude tremor hit around 3:30am local time as many people were asleep, collapsing buildings and killing at least 37 people. Keep reading for more on the heartbreaking disaster.

So incredibly sad! A major earthquake has hit central Italy, where centuries old towns were no match for the shaking ground as some cities were pretty much leveled by the 6.2 magnitude shaker. It was centered near the town of Accumoli, but the devastation in nearby Amatrice, where according to the New York Times, Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said, “Half the town no longer exists.” The city has been completely cut off due to damage to bridges and roads, as he explained, “There’s been a landslide and a bridge might collapse,” as he pleaded for  assistance live on Italian TV. “There are people stuck in the rubble. Houses are no longer there,” he shared as victims are likely trapped amid the destruction and are in desperate need of rescue. While the reported death toll is at six, it’s expected to tragically rise far higher.

The quake was felt as far away to the south as Rome, where the city shook for a good 20 seconds according to witnesses. The city of Bologna to the north of the epicenter was also shaken but no serious damage was reported in either city. Early pictures from around the region hardest hit show buildings destroyed and rubble all around.
 The last time a major quake hit the area was back in 2009 and it was a massive tragedy. It hit the nearby Abruzzo region and left over 300 people dead and 65,000 victims homeless. From the early reports of the Aug. 24 quake, this one could be even more devastating and the damage even more widespread.