PICTURES: Earthquake devastates several towns in central Italy
Here is a map from Reuters showing where the earthquake struck in Italy.
This picture provided by Italy's fire fighters shows a general view of Amatrice, central Italy — one of the towns severely devastated from the earthquake.
On the ground, it is clear how earthquake has flattened people's homes.
Overnight, people were left on the sides of the street as they escaped collapsed buildings.
Rescuers are seen here searching a crumbled building in Arcuata del Tronto, central Italy, which is one of the many central Italy towns hit by the earthquake.
Accumoli di Rieti was also severely impacted by the earthquake.
But Amatrice was one of the worst hit areas as it is near the epicentre of the earthquake. Rescuers here search for people buried in the rubble.
Sergio Pirozzi, the mayor in Amatrice told RAI television, "half the town is gone."
“There are people under the rubble … There’s been a landslide and a bridge might collapse,” he said.
“Now that daylight has come, we see that the situation is even more dreadful than we feared with buildings collapsed, people trapped under the rubble and no sound of life," he told RAI television.
“The aim now is to save as many lives as possible. There are voices under the rubble, we have to save the people there," he added.
5 people have been killed in the earthquake as of 7.45 a.m. BST.
Britain's foreign office said "if you are in Italy, Civil Protection have activated a hotline 800840840 for information. To learn more about what to do before, during, and after an earthquake visit the Protezione Civile website."
Facebook has also a safety check-in following the earthquake in order for people to tell their friends and family that they are safe.
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