Watch CBS News

At Least 159 Dead, 368 Injured In Earthquake In Italy

AMATRICE, Italy (CBSNewYork/CBS News/AP) — A town was nearly decimated, and at least 159 people were killed in a massive earthquake that struck central Italy early Wednesday morning.

The quake struck around 3:30 a.m. local time, with the epicenter just south of Norcia -- a town around 100 miles northeast of Rome. The powerful quake shook people out of their beds in the middle of the night.

More From CBS News | Photos: Italy Earthquake

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.

As night fell Wednesday, it was a race against time searching for survivors. At least 120 people were confirmed dead and another 368 were reported injured as of late Wednesday, but those numbers could grow drastically as emergency crews find more survivors and more bodies.

The earthquake flattened the town of Amatrice, where the mayor said residents were buried under debris and the town "isn't here anymore." The town traces back centuries, to the Roman era.

The earthquake reduced the town to gigantic piles of rubble, with streets blocked, buildings crumbled to the ground, and residents walking around with just the clothes on their backs.

Mayor Sergio Perozzi said there were downed buildings in the city center and the lights went out. He said he was unable to get in touch with emergency responders or reach the hospital.

"Clinking, thundering, sort of rumble -- it felt like someone had put a bulldozer under the house, trying to knock it down," said Emma Tucker, deputy editor for the Times of London.

On Thursday, emergency workers managed to pull one person and a dog from the enormous pile of rubble as residents and emergency responders continue to locate survivors, CBS2 reported.

Rescue teams spent the day Wednesday digging through mountains of debris where homes once stood. The Civil Protection Agency said no one would be allowed to sleep in Amatrice on Wednesday night.

The local parish priest said the town is living through immense tragedy.

"We are only hoping there will be the fewest number of victims possible and that we all have the courage to move on," said the Rev. Savino D'Amelio.

About 50 miles north, tourist Eve Read described what she felt.

"My husband and I woke up, being shaken from side to side in the bed...and probably continued for 6 or 7 seconds after we had woken up," Read said.

Read and her family were not hurt, but their vacation home did suffer some damage, including a collapsed ceiling.

The Rev. Fabio Gamarotta said he heard residents calling from windows.

He said they called: "Aiuto! Aiuto!" or, "Help! Help!"

Gamarotta said he tried to lift heavy stones off people under the rubble.

In Illica, large slabs of concrete fell from buildings, trapping people and crushing cars. Survivors looked dazed as they huddled in a field.

Residents there complained that rescue workers were slow to arrive and that loved ones were trapped.

"We are waiting for the military," said resident Alessandra Cappellanti. "There is a base in Ascoli, one in Rieti, and in L'Aquila. And we have not seen a single soldier. We pay! It's disgusting!"

Agostino Severo, a Rome resident visiting Illica, said workers eventually arrived after an hour or so. "We came out to the piazza, and it looked like Dante's Inferno," he said. "People crying for help, help."

In St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis led prayers for all the victims, expressing "great pain and closeness" to all the people affected.

But there was still hope late Wednesday.

A 10-year-old girl was pulled out alive from the degree in Pescara del Tronto, also one of the towns that was hit hardest. She was still alive after being trapped for 17 hours.

"You can hear something under here. Quiet, quiet," one rescue worker said, before soon urging her on: "Come on, Giulia, come on, Giulia. ... Watch your head."

Cheers broke out when she was pulled out.

Elsewhere, an 80-year-old woman who was trapped was ultimately freed.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi promised no one would be left behind in the country's response.

"It is a time we are all in shock, but it's a moment for action," Renzi said.

Italy's health minister, Beatrice Lorenzin, visiting the devastated area, said many of the victims were children: The quake zone is a popular spot for Romans with second homes, and the population swells in August when most Italians take their summer holiday before school resumes.

The U.S. State Department is asking U.S. citizens in Italy to contact friends and family to let them know they are safe. As of Wednesday afternoon the Embassy said it has no information as to whether Americans were injured in the quake.

In 2009, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck in the same region and killed more than 300 people. The earlier earthquake struck L'Aquila in central Italy, about 55 miles south of the latest quake.

Worry Mounts Among New York City Italian Community

In New York at Enzo's Market on Arthur Avenue, known as Little Italy in the Bronx, Italian TV displayed video of the destruction on Wednesday.

Joyce Volterra of Connecticut has in-laws who live in Rome, and she said her husband's mother is old and scared.

"They immediately called this morning. They felt the tremor. It was so close to the surface of the earth that felt it in Rome," Volterra said. "And it's just so sad. You know Amatrice -- that's where they make the pasta."

Amatrice is famed as the birthpace of one of the most famous Roman dishes.

"Bucatini all'amatriciana, which uses guanciale – and this is the only place, you know, that I could find which has that product, which is pig jowl," said Len Messina.

Messina, of Bronxville, has family in Sicily, and when he heard about the quake, he decided to go find the ingredients to make the dish in honor of the region.

Amatrice was set to hold its 50th annual festival honoring its namesake food this weekend – an event that draws lots of tourists.

Some 70 guests filled Amatrice's top Hotel Roma, famed for its amatriciana, where five bodies were pulled from the rubble before the operation was suspended when conditions became too dangerous late Wednesday. Among those killed at the hotel was an 11-year-old boy who had initially shown signs of life. The fate of the dozens of other guests wasn't immediately known.

In New York, many pledged to help in any way possible.

"In moments of crisis, New Yorkers come together, and whether it's here or an ocean away, all of us have a strong sense of connection to Italy here in New York," said John Calvelli, executive director of the National Italian-American Foundation.

Calvelli pointed to the devastating 2009 earthquake and the relief foundation that was able to provide through fundraising.

"We're all just assessing, realizing what we can do as a community, and we'll be there to respond on behalf of our ancestral homeland," Calvelli said.

In Lower Manhattan Wednesday night, the spire of One World Trade Center was lit with the green, white and red of the Italian flag.

One World Trade Center Spire Italy Flag
The spire of 1 World Trade Center is lit in the colors of the Italian flag after a major earthquake in Italy on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016. (Credit: CBS2)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a statement late Wednesday, promising that New York would support Italy as long as needed.

"On behalf of all New Yorkers, I extend my condolences to the men, women and children who lost their lives from the earthquake that devastated Italy earlier today. The people of Italy have shown courage and resilience throughout this tragedy and tonight, we keep them in our thoughts and prayers," Cuomo said in the statement.

"While we are still trying to understand the extent of the damage, we are closely monitoring the situation. New York stands ready to lend our support in the weeks and months to come - just as Italy did for New Yorkers in our time of need," the statement continued.

President Barack Obama spoke with Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday, offering condolences and support following the earthquake.

Late Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy said it has no information that American citizens have been injured.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.