Italy quake kills at least 16

At least 16 people were killed, dozens injured and thousands left homeless by a strong earthquake that hit a large swath of central Italy today, according to Agostino Miozzo, a Civil Protection Department official.

Some media said many of the victims were in L’Aquila, a city founded in the 13th century about 60 miles east of Rome, and in surrounding villages.

“Thousands of people [could be left] homeless and thousands of buildings collapsed or damaged,” Miozzo said.

The temblor struck shortly after 3:30 a.m. local time, and its epicenter was about 60 miles east of Rome, in the mountainous Abruzzo region. Italian officials measured it at 5.8 on the open-ended Richter scale, and the U.S. Geological Survey pegged it at 6.3.

Either way, it was the strongest earthquake to hit Italy since 2002.

Rubble blocked most of the old streets in L’Aquila, burying some parked cars, but even some modern structures on the outskirts collapsed.

Part of a university residence collapsed in L’Aquila, a popular tourist destination, but it was not clear if anyone was inside.

The bell tower of a church in the center of the city also collapsed and a church collapsed in another village. The area has many Romanesque and Renaissance churches.

A number of people were reported to have been injured and still trapped under rubble in the city and outlying areas from the quake, officials said.

Residents in many parts of central Italy felt the quake, and some ran into the streets. The shaking woke some residents of Rome, which is rarely hit by seismic activity. Furniture rattled, lights swayed and car alarms sounded.

The quake was the latest and strongest in a series to hit the L’Aquila area in the last two days.