DHAKA: At least 73 people have been killed in an earthquake that hit a mountainous area of central Italy, authorities say.

The magnitude 6.2 quake struck at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 100km north-east of Rome, not far from Perugia.

Many of the dead were in Accumoli, close to the epicentre, and a short distance away in Amatrice, where three-quarters of houses were destroyed.

Many people are still believed buried under the rubble, and the death toll is expected to rise, reports the BBC.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi paid tribute to the volunteers and civil defense officials who had rushed to the scene in the middle of the night and used their bare hands to dig for survivors,

The quake struck at a shallow depth of 10km and its intensity was compared to that of the Aquila earthquake in April 2009 in which 309 people died.

Some buildings in the capital shook for 20 seconds as the quake struck the regional border area of Umbria, Lazio and Le Marche.

It was felt from Bologna in the north of Italy to Naples in the south. Some 80 aftershocks have been reported since.

BDST: 2145 HRS, AUG 24, 2016
RR

**21 dead in Italy earthquake