6.1-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Rome, Central Italy
ROME (CBSNewYork/CBS News/AP) -- A 6.1-magnitude earthquake shook Rome and central Italy early Wednesday local time -- and the mayor of one town said his community wasn't there anymore.
There were no immediate reports of damage, but state-run RAI radio said people ran into the streets in central Umbria and Le Marche regions shortly after the quake struck just after 3:30 a.m.
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.
The mayor of quake-hit Amatrice in Italy said residents were buried under debris and that the town "isn't here anymore."
Mayor Sergio Perozzi said there were downed buildings in the city center and that the lights had gone out. He said he was unable to get in touch with emergency responders or reach the hospital.
"What can I tell you? It's a drama," he said.
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.
It was felt in central Rome, as people living in homes in the historic center felt a long swaying.
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