THE REAL DEAL - EARTHQUAKE IN ITALY

EARTHQUAKE IN ITALY 

A number of people have been killed after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck central Italy, and that number looks set to rise.

The severe earthquake hit the central region of Umbria just after 3:30 local time. It could be felt across a broad section of the country, including the capital of Rome, where buildings were reported to have shook for 20 seconds.

The Mayor of Amatrice told Italian radio that half the town is gone. A family of four have been found under the rubble in the town of Accumoli. Meanwhile, police said two people had died in the nearby village of Pescara del Tronto.

The earthquake was followed by several powerful aftershocks. The quake struck near the Umbrian city of Norcia, whose picturesque historic centre is popular with tourists. However, the mayor said no deaths have been reported there.

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

Difficult words: magnitude (strength, power), severe (great), rubble (pieces of a broken building), aftershock (a smaller earthquake after the main shock of a large earthquake), picturesque (beautiful).

You can listen to the news story, read it and learn some new vocabulary.  

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