Earthquake in Italy: Strong 5.4-magnitude quake shakes central Italy, tremors felt in Rome

A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 struck central Italy on Wednesday. Termers were also felt in Rome.

Rome, Oct 26: A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 struck central Italy on Wednesday. Termers were also felt in Rome. The strong earthquake rattled Italy just two months after a powerful temblor toppled villages. As many as 300 people were killed due to the earthquake two months ago. The quake was felt across a broad swath of central and southern Italy.

According to initial reports, the powerful earthquake in Italy also shoot centuries-old palazzi in Rome’s historic center. The epicenter of the quake was near Macerata, near Perugia. The U.S. Geological Survey said it had a depth of some 10 kilometers, which is relatively shallow. There were no immediate reports of damage, however termers were felt from Perugia in Umbria to the capital Rome to the central Italy town of Aquila. More details are awaited.

Strong earthquake rattles central Italy and Rome, shaking centuries-old buildings in capital. (AP)

— ANI (@ANI_news) October 26, 2016

A powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake ripped through the mountains in central Italy in August this year claiming 300 lives. A series of aftershocks struck towns in the region, toppling scores of buildings. The Italy government has been facing criticism for failing to prevent deaths after the 2009 earthquake in nearby L’Aquila that left 300 dead.