ROME — At least 73 people have been killed in an earthquake that hit a mountainous area of central Italy, authorities say. The magnitude 6.2 quake struck at early morning, before done, 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome, not far from Perugia.

Many of the dead were in Accumoli, close to the epicentre, and a short distance away in Amatrice, where three-quarters of houses were destroyed.

Italy Earth Quake scale of strength distribution - (BBC/USGS)

Many people are still believed buried under the rubble, and the death toll is expected to rise.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi paid tribute to the volunteers and civil defence officials who had rushed to the scene in the middle of the night and used their bare hands to dig for survivors.

The quake struck at a shallow depth of 10km and its intensity was compared to that of the Aquila earthquake in April 2009 in which 309 people died.

(BBC)