A strong earthquake hit central Italy early on Wednesday, leaving more than 240 people dead, according to Italy's civil protection agency.
The magnitude six earthquake struck at 3.36am (1.36am GMT) and was felt across a broad swathe of central Italy, including in Rome and from the Lazio region into Umbria and Le Marche on the Adriatic coast.
The hardest-hit towns were Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, some 80 miles north-east of Rome, where the air was thick with dust and smelled strongly of gas.
The centre of Amatrice was devastated, with entire palazzos razed. Rocks and metal tumbled onto the streets and dazed residents huddled in piazzas as almost 39 aftershocks continued into the morning, some as strong as 5.1.
