Aftershocks Rattle Italy's Quake Zone As Death Toll Rises

AMATRICE, Italy (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Strong aftershocks have been rattling central Italy, causing more damage in hard-hit Amatrice that threatens to isolate the tiny hilltop town as it struggles to dig out of the rubble.

Some crumbled buildings in the city cracked even further after Friday morning's big aftershock that the U.S. Geological Service says was 4.7 in magnitude.

PHOTOS: Deadly Quake Strikes Central Italy

The 6:28 a.m. temblor was preceded by more than a dozen weaker aftershocks overnight and followed by another nine in the subsequent hour.

Amatrice Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said there was also damage from the aftershocks to two crucial access roads. He said he was working with authorities to find alternative routes to bypass damaged bridges.

He said, "we hope to God it works, because otherwise, with the damaged stretch of road, we are without any connection'' to the main roads.

Even before the bridges were shut down Friday, traffic into and out of Amatrice was terribly congested. Emergency vehicles have been bringing scores of rescue crews up to town, and dump trucks have been carrying tons of concrete, rocks and metal back out the single-lane roads.

The quake zone has experienced more than 500 aftershocks, some measuring 5.1, in the two days since the original pre-dawn quake Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Italian authorities say the death toll from the quake has risen to 278. Civil protection officials gave the updated toll at a briefing Friday afternoon, adding that 238 other people caught up in the quake were rescued.

Homes collapsed like a house of cards, and in one neighborhood alone, 22 people were killed, CBS2's Jonathan Vigliotti reported.

Police pulled Pietro Tarli from the rubble of his home shortly after the quake struck.

"It was almost like the Almighty said to me, 'You must go on living," the 71-year-old said from his hospital bed.

The first of the funerals were underway Friday. Meanwhile, grieving relatives were crowding a makeshift funeral home where coffins are laid out in rows.

Rescue efforts continued through the night and into Friday, but more than a day and a half had passed since the last person was known to be extracted alive from the rubble.

One woman was moved to tears as she waited for news of her missing parents. After hours of searching, rescue teams finally pulled their bodies from the rubble of their home.

Another man, Francesco, was left in complete shock after seeing the damage to his home Thursday. Having already lost many friends, he now has no home to return to.

"There isn't a house," he said. "I don't have a house here."

Volunteers are setting up temporary housing and handing out food and clothing to people who have lost everything. More than 2,000 people are living makeshift camps.

Speaking in Rome, Italy's prime minister brushed off criticism the country could have done more to make buildings in the region quake proof. Instead, he announced a multimillion dollar effort to rebuild.

But many survivors, now living in tent cities, are struggling to do just that.

The government of Italy has declared Saturday a day of national mourning.

(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.)