Media captionThe collapse of a house in the Perugia region was caught on camera
A strong earthquake has struck near Norcia in central Italy, destroying numerous buildings.
It comes nearly two months after a major earthquake killed almost 300 people and destroyed several towns.
The
quake early on Sunday measured 6.6, larger than August's quake and
aftershocks last week. It is thought to be Italy's most violent in
decades.
At least 11 people have been hurt but no deaths are reported so far. Many locals left after last week's quakes.
Nine people have been pulled alive from the rubble, Italian media say.
Tremors were felt in the capital Rome, and as far away as Venice in the north. It was at a depth of only 1.5km (0.9 miles).
Italian
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi promised to rebuild all homes and churches
destroyed by the quake. He appealed to Italians to show generosity,
courage and responsibility.
Pope Francis mentioned the quake in his Sunday blessing in Rome's St Peter's Square.
"I'm
praying for the injured and the families who have suffered the most
damage, as well as for rescue and first-aid workers," he said to loud
applause.
Image copyright@monksofnorciaImage caption
Nuns reportedly had to run out of the Basilica of St Benedict in Norcia as it crumbled
Image copyrightSabrina FatauzziImage caption
Buildings which survived the previous earthquakes have been brought down
Image copyright@Franc_PetrucciImage caption
The road to Norcia has also been damaged
The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the
quake was 68km south-east of the regional centre of Perugia and close to
the small town of Norcia.
Monks at the monastery of San
Benedetto, an international Benedictine community in Norcia, tweeted an
image of the Basilica of St Benedict destroyed by the earthquake.
"The
monks are all safe, but our hearts go immediately to those affected,
and the priests of the monastery are searching for any who may need the
Last Rites," the monks said later in a statement.
Norcia is believed to be the birthplace of St Benedict.
Frightened residents rushed into squares and streets after the quake, at about 07:40 local time (06:40 GMT), AP reported.
Italy's
civil protection department head Fabrizio Curcio said there were at
least nine people with minor injuries and two seriously injured.
Helicopters were being used to reach remote areas and help the injured, he said.
Media captionThe BBC's James Reynolds reports: "It's clear the church (in Norcia) has come down"Image copyrightAPImage caption
Residents of Norcia were rushed into the streets after the quake struck in the early hours of Sunday
Image copyrightAPImage caption
Priests and nuns join residents in the main square in Norcia after being evacuated from their church
Norcia Bishop Renato Boccardo said the recent series of quakes had taken their toll on local people.
"Everyone
has been suspended in a never-ending state of fear and stress. They are
at their wits' end," he said, quoted by Reuters.
The towns of
Castelsantangelo and Preci have also suffered considerable damage, but
were mainly abandoned after last week's quakes, of magnitude 5.5 and
6.1.
Castelsantangelo's mayor, quoted by La Stampa newspaper, said
there were no casualties at all in the town as "everyone had already
left".
The mayors of the villages of Ussita and Arquata said many buildings had collapsed there too.
The
Ussita mayor told Ansa news agency: "Everything collapsed. I can see
columns of smoke, it's a disaster. I was sleeping in the car and I saw
hell."
Another church collapsed in Tolentino, possibly with people inside celebrating Mass.
Italy's most violent earthquakes since 1900
October 2016 - Norcia, central Italy, magnitude 6.6, no deaths reported so far
November 1980 - Campania, southern Italy (Naples badly hit), magnitude 6.9, up to 5,000 killed
July 1930 - Irpinia, Campania, magnitude 6.6, 1,400 killed
January 1915 - L'Aquila, magnitude 6.7, more than 30,000 killed
December 1908 - Strait of Messina, magnitude 7.1, up to 200,000 killed by earthquake and tsunami
September 1905 - Calabria, magnitude 7.2, up to 2,500 killed by tsunami
Amatrice, the town which suffered most in the August earthquake, has also been affected.
Six people are reported to have been pulled alive from the rubble in Norcia and three in Tolentino.
Services on the metro in Rome have been suspended since the quake, and some tourist sites were closed for a few hours.
Central
Italy has seen several major quakes in recent years. Earthquakes which
devastated the town of L'Aquila in 2009 and Amatrice in August this year
killed about 300 people each.
But they both measured only 6.2 and were deeper than Sunday's earthquake. copy http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37814975
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