A total of 73 people are confirmed to have been killed in the devastating earthquake that struck several central Italian regions on Wednesday, the civil protection agency said.
Of the fatalities, 53 people were killed in the Lazio region surrounding Rome and 30 in the Marche region, the civil protection agency said after receiving reports of verified victims.
Thirty-five of the victims were counted in the Lazio village of Amatrice, which was destroyed by the magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck at 3.36 am local time.
The quake epicentre was in the province of Rieti in northern Lazio, near the village of Accumoli and was felt as far away as Florence and Naples, severely damaging hill towns in Lazio, Umbria and Marche.
There are fears the death toll will rise further as 150 people were reported missing following the quake, which injured scores and left thousands homeless, according to officials.
Italian premier Matteo Renzi cancelled a planned trip to France on Wednesday and visited the earthquake zone in the central Appenines including Amatrice.
