Officials: At Least 120 Dead In Italy Earthquake

By Madison Park, Steve Almasy and Doug Criss

NORCIA, Italy (CNN) --  **UPDATED 3:50 PM**

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said "there are at least 120 lives cut short at this time," following the earthquake that struck the central part of the country early Wednesday morning, according to national news agency ANSA.

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**UPDATED 7:20 AM**
It's daylight now in central Italy, which gives rescuers a few precious hours for a mad scramble to dig as many survivors out from the rubble before darkness plunges the region and the lack of electricity makes the job impossible.

At least 37 people are dead after a 6.2 magnitude quake struck three villages in a mountainous area.

The tremors were so strong they rattled Rome -- about 100 miles away. "We're digging, digging... hoping to find someone alive," the mayor of one of the villages said.

Rescue workers called residents' cellphones, and tried to get to those who answered. If there was no answer, they moved on to the next person.
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A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit southeast of Norcia, Italy, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquake struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the town of Norcia at 3:36 a.m. local time. The tremor was felt in Rome.

About an hour after the earthquake, a 5.5-magnitude aftershock hit just 4 kilometers northeast of Norcia.

Although the extent of damage and injuries was not immediately clear, the earthquake could be devastating. Several buildings collapsed in the mountain town of Amatrice, according to CNN affiliate RAI.

The USGS estimated that significant casualties are likely and that economic loss could be extensive.

"Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake resistant construction," according to USGS' initial estimate on economic loss.

It cited that building types tend to be un-reinforced brick with mud and concrete frame with infill construction.

"Based on the estimate we have, we could be looking at very significant losses," Rafael Abreu, a USGS geophysicist told CNN. "We can see several casualties related to this event."

"We have a 35% probability of seeing between a hundred to a thousand casualties. This is very preliminary."

Italian news agency ANSA reported that there were damages to buildings in Ascoli Piceno, a town east of Norcia. Many calls to firefighters have been made following the earthquake in the Umbria region, according to ANSA.

Deadly earthquakes have struck Italy in recent years. In May 2012, a pair of earthquakes in northern Italy killed dozens of people. In April 2009, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 hit central Italy, killing 295.

Developing story - more to come

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