Premier Matteo Renzi said Wednesday he was travelling to the are of central Italy hit by a devastating earthquake and vowed that no one would be left there without help.
"In the late afternoon I will visit the area and take part in meetings on the rescue operations," Renzi told journalists at the prime minister's office in Rome.
"Thank you to everyone who has dug with their bare hands," Renzi said.
"Work is continuing and we must equip ourselves for the emergency in the coming hours, days and weeks," he stated
"But right now the priority is digging."
"Nobody will be left alone, no family, no town, no village".
Unconfirmed figures put at over 60 the number of people killed in Wednesday's magnitude 6.0 earthquake whose epicentre was near the Lazio village of Accumoli. The quake also struck the Umbria and Marche regions.
The death toll was likely to rise after more than 150 people were reported missing following the quake, which left thousands homeless, officials said.
Italy's lower house of parliament speaker Laura Boldrini, a native of Marche, travelled to its quake-hit mountain village of Arquata del Tronto on Wednesday to show closeness to victims of the disaster.
Italy's president Sergio Mattarella and Pope Francis expressed sorrow at the earthquake and solidarity with its victims.
"Right now we need to do our utmost to save human lives, treat the injured and take the best possible care of those left homeless," Mattarella said in a statement.
"Straight afterwards, a united effort will be needed to ensure the rebuilding of locations destroyed by the earthquake, economic activity and normal daily life."
Francis voiced "heartfelt sorrow and spiritual closeness" for the quake victims and led prayers for them at his general audience in St Peter's Square.
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