14 dead in strong Italian earthquake

Quake's magnitude was 6.3

At least 14 people were killed by a strong earthquake in Italy's central Abruzzo region early this morning. The quake, which was also felt in Rome, had a magnitude of 6.3 and struck at 6 am IST.

The quake came just hours after a 6.3-magnitude tremor shook Italy's north-central region with no reports of damage. That quake occurred at 10:20 p.m (local time) yesterday near Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region and was exceptionally deep at some 28 kilometres. Because of its depth, the tremor was felt over a wide area.

A powerful earthquake in the region claimed 13 lives in 1997 and damaged or destroyed priceless cultural heritage. People inland near Bologna, as far north as Trieste and as far south as Aquila, also reported feeling yesterday's quake.