EARTHQUAKE ROCKS CENTRAL ITALY KILLING 247 PERSONS

At least 247 people were killed after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck central Italy Wednesday, according to Italy's Civil Protection Department.
             The powerful earthquake hit 10km(6.2 miles) southeast of Norcia at 3.36a.m(9.36p.m Tuesday ET).Italy's Civil Protection agency said of the  people killed in the quake,at least 53 of them were in the town of Amatrice,and at least 100 people injured. Other fatalities were reported in the nearly towns of Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto.More than 1000 people have been displaced by the quake and the Civil Protection agency said no resident will be allowed to sleep in the devastated town of Amatrice Wednesday night.
             ''Right now we feel terrible pain'',Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi said after touring some of the affected areas.“Italy is a family that has been hit and struck,but we are not going to stop".Addressing the nation Wednesday, Renzi vowed to spare no effort in the critical window following the quake when lives could still be saved “In difficult times ,Italy knows what to do,”he said.
            The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams work through the rubble, with regular aftershock posing a continuing threats.Rescue efforts continued through the night,said Luigi D'Angelo,an official with Italy's Civil Protection Department. “Many cases have shown in the past that even after two days people can be rescued alive,"he said.“so we want to continue".With heavy lifting equipment just starting to reach the isolated villages ,people used tractors,farm equipment and simple hand tools to break through what was left of old stone villas

The powerful jolt was felt as far away as Rome ,100 miles from the epicenter “it lasted for at least 30 seconds.The entire hotel was shaking",said Charlotte Smith, coach of Elon  University women's basketball team in North Carolina, who was in Rome with her players when the quake hit “it was pretty terrifying she said".The university released a statement later,saying the team was headed back to Charlotte, North Carolina.

                              President Barack Obama called Mattarella on Wednesday to offer US assistance. The leaders of France, Germany and Russia all expressed their sympathy over the disaster.while the Italian voluntary Blood Association made an appeal for people to donate blood to help treat those affected.

Italy is no stranger to deadly quakes.In May 2012,a pair of earthquake killed dozens of people in Northeast Italy,while in April 2009 ,a magnitude 6.3 quake hit in the Aquila region of central  Italy,killing 295 .The earthquake Wednesday struck an area close to the 2009 earthquake.