Italian authorities say that the death toll from Wednesday’s earthquake in the central part of the country has risen to 247.
The civil protection agency gave the updated figure early Thursday, about 27 hours after the earthquake struck. The tremors reduced three towns to rubble and sparked urgent search efforts.
Italian rescue workers are expecting fewer casualties than initially feared at the site of a hotel that was badly damaged in Wednesday’s earthquake.
Officials initially said about 70 people had been staying at the Hotel Roma in the central Italian town of Amatrice when the quake struck.
Source: AP Exchange