An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude estimated at 6.1 has rattled Rome and central Italy in the middle of the night.
The mayor of the Umbrian town of Amatrice, hit hard by the quake, says residents are buried under the debris of collapsed buildings and that "the town isn't here anymore."
Sergio Pirozzi told state-run RAI radio and Sky TG24 that he needs heavy equipment to clear rubble-clogged streets to get to the injured.
The quake struck central Italy, near Rieti, shortly after 3:30 a.m. and was followed by several aftershocks.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Center put the magnitude at 6.1 and said the epicenter was northeast of Rome, near Rieti. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.2. It was felt in central Rome, as people homes in the historic center felt a long swaying.