Earthquake strikes central Italy leaving at least 21 dead

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck central Italy, leaving at least 21 people dead and many others trapped under rubble, report says.

Many of the dead were in the village of Pescara del Tronto which was levelled to the ground and there were fears the number could rise.

Much of the town of Amatrice was reduced to rubble and a family of four were feared dead nearby in Accumoli.

Although it struck at a shallow depth of 10km, its intensity was compared to the Aquila earthquake in April 2009 in which 309 people died. The epicentre was around Accumoli where several people died.

Some buildings in the capital shook for 20 seconds as the quake struck an area between the regions of Umbria, Lazio and Marche. It was felt from Bologna in the north to Naples in the south.

The highest casualties were reported in the small village of Pescara del Tronto, where 10 people were reported dead, among them children. Twenty people have been taken to hospital.

Two boys aged four and seven were pulled alive from the rubble of the house they had been staying in with their grandmother, Ansa news agency reported. Rescuers said they had been sheltering under a bed.

More damage was reported a short distance up the road in Arquata del Tronto.