Central Italy earth quake

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is due to attend state funerals for victims from Arquata, one of the worst-hit towns.

A state of emergency has been declared in affected areas and €50m (£42m) in funds pledged for rebuilding.

The official death toll stands at 278 and no survivors have been found since Wednesday evening.

Despite this the authorities say they will continue the search until they are certain no-one is unaccounted for.

Most victims were Italian, but several foreigners were among those killed, including three Britons.

Three days after the quake struck the mountainous heart of the country, sniffer dogs and emergency crews continued to scour the town of Amatrice, which was levelled in the disaster, but there was no sign of life beneath the debris.

"Only a miracle can bring our friends back alive from the rubble, but we are still digging because many are missing," town mayor Sergio Pirozzi told reporters.

In nearby villages, such as Pescara del Tronto, rescuers pulled out after all the inhabitants had been accounted for.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has pledged €50m (£42m) in funds for rebuilding.

At least 268 people are now known to have died and 400 were injured. Teams have continued to search the rubble of toppled buildings for a second night.

However, hundreds of aftershocks have hampered the efforts of the 5,000 rescuers.

Another magnitude-4.7 tremor struck early on Friday.

In addition to the funds, Mr Renzi cancelled taxes for residents and announced a new initiative, "Italian Homes", to tackle criticism over shoddy construction.

A strong tremor with magnitude 4.3 struck on Thursday afternoon, sending rescuers fleeing from already fragile buildings.

About 5,000 rescue workers are combing through rubble for survivors using heavy machinery or bare hands.

At least 250 people are now known to have died after Wednesday's quake.

The 6.2-magnitude quake hit at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome in mountainous central Italy.

More than 300 people have been treated in hospital and dozens are believed to be trapped under rubble.

The powerful earthquake hit 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of Norcia at 3:36 a.m. (9:36 p.m. Tuesday ET).

Italy's Civil Protection agency said of the people killed in the quake, at least 53 of them were in the town of Amatrice, and at least 100 people were injured. Other fatalities were reported in the nearby towns of Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto.

More than 1,000 people have been displaced by the quake, and the Civil Protection agency said no residents were allowed to sleep in the devastated town of Amatrice Wednesday night.

Many people are still believed to be buried under rubble and more than 4,300 rescuers are using heavy lifting equipment and bare hands to find them.

More than 160 people have died and at least 368 were injured, officials said.

Many of the victims were children, the health minister said, and there were warnings the toll could rise further.

The magnitude-6.2 quake struck at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome, not far from Perugia.

At least 86 of the dead were in the historic town of Amatrice, where the mayor said three-quarters of the town was destroyed, and in nearby Accumoli.

Many people are still believed to be buried under rubble.

Rescue teams are using heavy lifting equipment and their bare hands and authorities said the search for survivors would continue through the night.

The magnitude-6.2 quake struck at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome, not far from Perugia.

Eighty-six of the dead were in the historic town of Amatrice, where the mayor said three-quarters of the town was destroyed, and in nearby Accumoli.

Many people are still believed to be buried under rubble.

Rescue teams are using heavy lifting equipment and their bare hands as they continue to search for survivors after nightfall.

Here's what we know:

• Six people have been confirmed killed so far in the 6.2-magnitude quake, according to CNN affiliate RAI.
• Original earthquake struck near the town of Norcia at 3:36 a.m. local time
• An hour later, a 5.5-magnitude aftershock hit just four kilometers north of the same town

The quake hit at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 76 km (47 miles) southeast of the city, 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.

So far, there are no reports of damage or casualties.

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 quake was initially reported as being magnitude 6.4.