Girl pulled from rubble as Italy earthquake toll hits 252

Girl pulled from rubble as Italy earthquake toll hits 252

By Barbie Latza Nadeau, Livia Borghese and Joshua Berlinger, CNN

Updated 1128 GMT (1928 HKT) August 25, 2016

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Earthquake hits central Italy
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Girl pulled from earthquake rubble
Rescuers search for survivors amidst the rubble following an earthquake, in Amatrice, Italy August 24.
Rescuers search for survivors in Italy after earthquake
PERUGIA, ITALY - AUGUST 24: Rescuers clear debris while searching for victims in damaged buildings on August 24, 2016 in Arquata del Tronto, Italy. Central Italy was struck by a powerful, 6.2-magnitude earthquake in the early hours, which has killed at least thirteen people and devastated dozens of mountain villages. Numerous buildings have collapsed in communities close to the epicenter of the quake near the town of Norcia in the region of Umbria, witnesses have told Italian media, with an increase in the death toll highly likely (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)
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Earthquake hits central Italy
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Girl pulled from earthquake rubble
Rescuers search for survivors amidst the rubble following an earthquake, in Amatrice, Italy August 24.
Rescuers search for survivors in Italy after earthquake
PERUGIA, ITALY - AUGUST 24: Rescuers clear debris while searching for victims in damaged buildings on August 24, 2016 in Arquata del Tronto, Italy. Central Italy was struck by a powerful, 6.2-magnitude earthquake in the early hours, which has killed at least thirteen people and devastated dozens of mountain villages. Numerous buildings have collapsed in communities close to the epicenter of the quake near the town of Norcia in the region of Umbria, witnesses have told Italian media, with an increase in the death toll highly likely (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)
Witnesses recount horrors of Italy's deadly quake
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italy earthquake survivors mclaughlin pkg_00000000.jpg
Shock and awe moment for Italy earthquake survivors
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Italy Red Cross still searching for survivors
Story highlights

Death toll rises by nearly 100 Thursday
Rescue workers are racing to find survivors amid the rubble

"Are you in Italy? Are you affected by the earthquake? If it's safe for you to do so, WhatsApp us on +44 7435 939 154 to share your photos, experiences and video. Please tag #CNNiReport in your message."

Saletta, Italy (CNN)Rescuers are still combing through the rubble in several small towns and villages in central Italy Thursday, a day after a strong earthquake shook the region and left at least 252 people dead.
While many bodies have been uncovered, crews pulled a little girl alive from a mountain of debris overnight, and hope returned for more survivors in the aftermath of the devastating quake.

A 10-year-old girl is rescued from the debris of a collapsed building in Pescara del Tronto.
A 10-year-old girl is rescued from the debris of a collapsed building in Pescara del Tronto.
Rescuers in Pescara del Tronto heard something beneath the mounds of broken concrete and scrambled to clear a way out. The scene was captured on video by CNN affiliate Sky TG24.
Fast facts: All about earthquakes
"Quiet! Quiet" they said, getting closer to the source of sound.
They saw a young girl, later identified as Giorgia, 10.
A firefighter clawed at the debris, trying to get to her.
"Come on... Come on. Slowly, slowly. Mind her head," they say to one another as onlookers applaud in support.
An emergency hospital camp is set up to treat earthquake victims in Arquata del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
An emergency hospital camp is set up to treat earthquake victims in Arquata del Tronto.
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A woman tries to comfort her child in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A woman tries to comfort her child in Amatrice on August 24.
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Residents survey a collapsed staircase in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Residents survey a collapsed staircase in Amatrice on August 24.
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Residents of Pescara del Tronto care for an elderly earthquake victim on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Residents of Pescara del Tronto care for an elderly earthquake victim on August 24.
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Search-and-rescue teams look for survivors in Pescara del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Search-and-rescue teams look for survivors in Pescara del Tronto.
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Survivors sit among the rubble of a house in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Survivors sit among the rubble of a house in Amatrice on August 24.
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Residents search for victims in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Residents search for victims in Amatrice.
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An injured man is rescued from a collapsed building in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
An injured man is rescued from a collapsed building in Amatrice on August 24.
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A man leans on a wall in Pescara del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A man leans on a wall in Pescara del Tronto.
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A dog searches for people trapped in collapsed buildings in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A dog searches for people trapped in collapsed buildings in Amatrice.
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Rescuers search for victims in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Rescuers search for victims in Amatrice on August 24.
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A man is pulled alive from the rubble.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A man is pulled alive from the rubble.
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A man surveys damage near a dust-covered car in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A man surveys damage near a dust-covered car in Amatrice on August 24.
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Two people huddle together in Amatrice after the earthquake.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Two people huddle together in Amatrice after the earthquake.
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A rescue worker drives a truck of rubble as cleanup operations begin in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A rescue worker drives a truck of rubble as cleanup operations begin in Amatrice.
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Rescuers make their way through destroyed houses in Pescara del Tronto, Italy, on Thursday, August 25, after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the central part of the country. Hundreds of people have been killed, and the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams reach remote areas.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Rescuers make their way through destroyed houses in Pescara del Tronto, Italy, on Thursday, August 25, after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the central part of the country. Hundreds of people have been killed, and the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams reach remote areas.
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A bird's eye view of Amatrice, Italy, on Wednesday, August 24, after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A bird's eye view of Amatrice, Italy, on Wednesday, August 24, after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck.
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Rescuers help a woman from the rubble in Amatrice, Italy, on Wednesday, August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Rescuers help a woman from the rubble in Amatrice, Italy, on Wednesday, August 24.
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Search-and-rescue teams survey collapsed houses in Pescara del Tronto, Italy, on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Search-and-rescue teams survey collapsed houses in Pescara del Tronto, Italy, on August 24.
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A man cries as another injured man is helped in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A man cries as another injured man is helped in Amatrice.
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This woman in Amatrice was wounded during the earthquake.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
This woman in Amatrice was wounded during the earthquake.
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Rescuers carry a man through earthquake debris in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Rescuers carry a man through earthquake debris in Amatrice.
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Rocco Girardi receives treatment after being rescued from the rubble in Arquata del Tronto, Italy, on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Rocco Girardi receives treatment after being rescued from the rubble in Arquata del Tronto, Italy, on August 24.
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The body of a unidentified child lies on a bench in Arquata del Tronto on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
The body of a unidentified child lies on a bench in Arquata del Tronto on August 24.
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The quake left this house in ruins in Arquata del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
The quake left this house in ruins in Arquata del Tronto.
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Two people hug each other next to damaged houses in Pescara del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Two people hug each other next to damaged houses in Pescara del Tronto.
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Two women pass along a stuffed toy in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Two women pass along a stuffed toy in Amatrice on August 24.
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Residents take in the damage in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Residents take in the damage in Amatrice.
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This aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Amatrice. The quake struck at 3:36 a.m and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
This aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Amatrice. The quake struck at 3:36 a.m and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy.
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An emergency hospital camp is set up to treat earthquake victims in Arquata del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
An emergency hospital camp is set up to treat earthquake victims in Arquata del Tronto.
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A woman tries to comfort her child in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A woman tries to comfort her child in Amatrice on August 24.
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Residents survey a collapsed staircase in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Residents survey a collapsed staircase in Amatrice on August 24.
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Residents of Pescara del Tronto care for an elderly earthquake victim on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Residents of Pescara del Tronto care for an elderly earthquake victim on August 24.
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Search-and-rescue teams look for survivors in Pescara del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Search-and-rescue teams look for survivors in Pescara del Tronto.
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Survivors sit among the rubble of a house in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Survivors sit among the rubble of a house in Amatrice on August 24.
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Residents search for victims in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Residents search for victims in Amatrice.
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An injured man is rescued from a collapsed building in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
An injured man is rescued from a collapsed building in Amatrice on August 24.
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A man leans on a wall in Pescara del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A man leans on a wall in Pescara del Tronto.
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A dog searches for people trapped in collapsed buildings in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A dog searches for people trapped in collapsed buildings in Amatrice.
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Rescuers search for victims in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Rescuers search for victims in Amatrice on August 24.
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A man is pulled alive from the rubble.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A man is pulled alive from the rubble.
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A man surveys damage near a dust-covered car in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A man surveys damage near a dust-covered car in Amatrice on August 24.
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Two people huddle together in Amatrice after the earthquake.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Two people huddle together in Amatrice after the earthquake.
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A rescue worker drives a truck of rubble as cleanup operations begin in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A rescue worker drives a truck of rubble as cleanup operations begin in Amatrice.
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Rescuers make their way through destroyed houses in Pescara del Tronto, Italy, on Thursday, August 25, after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the central part of the country. Hundreds of people have been killed, and the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams reach remote areas.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Rescuers make their way through destroyed houses in Pescara del Tronto, Italy, on Thursday, August 25, after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the central part of the country. Hundreds of people have been killed, and the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams reach remote areas.
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A bird's eye view of Amatrice, Italy, on Wednesday, August 24, after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A bird's eye view of Amatrice, Italy, on Wednesday, August 24, after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck.
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Rescuers help a woman from the rubble in Amatrice, Italy, on Wednesday, August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Rescuers help a woman from the rubble in Amatrice, Italy, on Wednesday, August 24.
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Search-and-rescue teams survey collapsed houses in Pescara del Tronto, Italy, on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Search-and-rescue teams survey collapsed houses in Pescara del Tronto, Italy, on August 24.
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A man cries as another injured man is helped in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
A man cries as another injured man is helped in Amatrice.
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This woman in Amatrice was wounded during the earthquake.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
This woman in Amatrice was wounded during the earthquake.
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Rescuers carry a man through earthquake debris in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Rescuers carry a man through earthquake debris in Amatrice.
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Rocco Girardi receives treatment after being rescued from the rubble in Arquata del Tronto, Italy, on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Rocco Girardi receives treatment after being rescued from the rubble in Arquata del Tronto, Italy, on August 24.
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The body of a unidentified child lies on a bench in Arquata del Tronto on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
The body of a unidentified child lies on a bench in Arquata del Tronto on August 24.
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The quake left this house in ruins in Arquata del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
The quake left this house in ruins in Arquata del Tronto.
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Two people hug each other next to damaged houses in Pescara del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Two people hug each other next to damaged houses in Pescara del Tronto.
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Two women pass along a stuffed toy in Amatrice on August 24.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Two women pass along a stuffed toy in Amatrice on August 24.
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Residents take in the damage in Amatrice.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
Residents take in the damage in Amatrice.
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This aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Amatrice. The quake struck at 3:36 a.m and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
This aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Amatrice. The quake struck at 3:36 a.m and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy.
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An emergency hospital camp is set up to treat earthquake victims in Arquata del Tronto.
Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy
An emergency hospital camp is set up to treat earthquake victims in Arquata del Tronto.
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Suddenly there was a foot, a leg, and then the other leg.
Chefs rally to help Italy earthquake victims
She's finally pulled out with great care to a rousing cheer. "She's alive!" a witness joyously cries.
Pushing through
Rescue efforts have continued all through the night, said Luigi D'Angelo, 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 isolated villages and towns that were cut off by landslides and building debris, people used tractors, farm equipment and simple hand tools to break through what was left of old stone villas.
Many settlements are only accessible by small roads, posing a challenge for authorities moving in heavy machinery to the disaster sites.
On a roadside near Amatrice, stunned residents in dust-covered pajamas sought comfort after every aftershock.
Ghost town
But Giorgia's survival is sadly an anomaly so far in the massive rescue operation, which involves more than 5,200 rescuers from Italy's Civil Protection agency, and many more from outside groups.
The Civil Protection agency said of the people killed, at least 184 of them were in Amatrice, and at least 100 people were injured. At least 195 people were killed in Rieti. In Accumoli, as many as 11 were killed, and 57 died in Arquata del Tronto.
"We saw unfortunately only bodies pulled out," CNN correspondent Barbie Nadeau said from the village of Saletta, where 22 people were killed.
"We didn't see any happy stories here," she added.
Saletta is less than a mile from the epicenter of the deadly 6.2-magnitude earthquake, and an eerie quiet now permeates the village.
Nadeau said the last known body had been pulled from the debris, that of an elderly woman whose son had been keeping vigil at the rubble of what was once their home.
He wailed in agony as they took his mother's body away in an ambulance.
The settlement of around 20 homes now looks like a ghost town. Most of the residents fled as strong aftershocks threatened even more destruction, she said.
Nadeau and her crew narrowly escaped injury when a home collapsed behind her in Saletta as she did a Facebook Live session Wednesday.
Building collapses live in Italy
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Building collapses live in Italy 00:54
More than 1,000 people have been displaced by the quake, and Italy's Civil Protection agency said no residents were allowed to sleep in the devastated town of Amatrice on Wednesday night.

Before: Google, After: FILIPPO MONTEFORTEFILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images
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Some 264 of the wounded have been hospitalized.
'Italy knows what to do'
The death toll was expected to rise as rescue teams worked through the rubble, with regular aftershocks posing a continuing threat.
"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 be stopped."
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.
A series of strong aftershocks have been felt since the initial quake, including a 4.7-magnitude tremor that struck a few miles east of Norcia early Thursday morning local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Hard-to-reach locations
Emma Tucker, deputy editor of British newspaper The Times, was in Italy's Marche region, about 85 kilometers from the epicenter, when her house started "trembling, shaking ... an absolutely appalling noise."
"It felt like someone had put a bulldozer over the house and was trying to knock it down," she told CNN.

Before: Google, After: EPA/CRISTIANO CHIODI
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.

BEFORE: GOOGLE: AFTER: Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
Amatrice 'is no more,' says mayor
The towns at the epicenter of the quake -- Amatrice, Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto -- are scenes of devastation, with what were once charming three-story buildings pancaked by the disaster.
Collapsed and damaged houses in Pescara del Tronto.
Collapsed and damaged houses in Pescara del Tronto.
Much of the houses in the area -- unreinforced brick or concrete frame buildings -- were vulnerable to earthquakes, according to the US Geological Survey, and offered little resistance to the powerful temblor.
Amatrice, a town of about 2,000 people in the north of Italy's Lazio region, is in ruins. But amid the rubble, the village clock tower stood tall, with the clock stopped at the time the quake struck.
Amatrice: The town at the quake's epicenter

Before: Google, After: EPA/MASSIMO PERCOSSI
"The town is no more," Mayor Sergio Pirozzi told CNN affiliate Rai.
The towns, situated amid remote, mountainous terrain, are particularly popular in the summer with tourists seeking a scenic getaway from the heat of the city.
Red Cross spokesman Tommaso della Longa said the fluctuating population during the vacation season made it hard to know exactly how many people might be trapped in the debris.
Amatrice, known for its traditional all'amatriciana pasta sauce, had been gearing up to hold a festival celebrating the pork jowl, chili and pecorino recipe this weekend, with many visitors expected.

BEFORE: GOOGLE: AFTER: Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
Italy is no stranger to deadly quakes.
In May 2012, a pair of earthquakes killed dozens of people in northern Italy, while in April 2009, a magnitude-6.3 earthquake hit in the Aquila region of central Italy, killing 295. The earthquake Wednesday struck an area close to the 2009 earthquake.

CNN's Ray Sanchez, Vasco Cotovio, Tim Hume, Joshua Berlinger, Atika Shubert, Frederik Pleitgen, Madison Park, Bianca Britton, Alla Eshchenko, Faith Karimi, Steve Almasy, Yazhou Sun, Begona Blanco Munoz and Livia Borghese contributed to this report. Journalist Angela Dewan wrote from London.