Earthquake strikes central Italy

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck central Italy, with officials saying some buildings had collapsed.

The quake hit at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 76 km (47 miles) southeast of the city of Perugia, at the very shallow depth of 10km (six miles), the USGS said.

In Rome, some buildings shook for 20 seconds, according to La Repubblica newspaper. There were no immediate reports of casualties, reports BBC.

However the USGS predicted these could be significant based on data from previous quakes.

The prime minister`s office said the government was in touch with regional heads of the civil protection agency.

The mayor of the town of Amatrice, Sergio Perozzi, told state-run RAI radio that buildings in the town centre had collapsed and the electricity had been cut.

The quake was initially reported as being magnitude 6.4. It was followed by several powerful aftershocks, La Repubblica newspaper reported.

In 2009, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in the Aquila region, which was also felt in the Italian capital, left more than 300 dead.