At least 50 people have been killed in a powerful earthquake that struck central Italy, Italian officials say.
Five children are said to be among the dead and many remain unaccounted for as a massive search for the trapped is under way.
The 6.3-magnitude quake struck at 0330 (0130 GMT) close to L'Aquila city, 95km (60 miles) north-east of Rome.
A civil protection official said 3,000 to 10,000 buildings in the medieval city may have been damaged.
And as many as 50,000 people are feared to have been made homeless.
The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in L'Aquila described bemused and confused locals wrapped in blankets and carrying their personal belongings in suitcases walking, like a stream of refugees, through the devastation.
At the moment, the situation is not fully under control, our correspondent says.
The rescue service is stretched to breaking point as it tries to reach all the devastated buildings and deal with the mounting casualty toll, he adds.
BBC
Five children are said to be among the dead and many remain unaccounted for as a massive search for the trapped is under way.
The 6.3-magnitude quake struck at 0330 (0130 GMT) close to L'Aquila city, 95km (60 miles) north-east of Rome.
A civil protection official said 3,000 to 10,000 buildings in the medieval city may have been damaged.
And as many as 50,000 people are feared to have been made homeless.
The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in L'Aquila described bemused and confused locals wrapped in blankets and carrying their personal belongings in suitcases walking, like a stream of refugees, through the devastation.
At the moment, the situation is not fully under control, our correspondent says.
The rescue service is stretched to breaking point as it tries to reach all the devastated buildings and deal with the mounting casualty toll, he adds.
BBC
.... Rome & Vanice City walata thama godak bala pala thiyenne 
