Six dead in Italy earthquake that hits historic cities
Rome - Six people died after a magnitude-5.9 earthquake hit northern Italy early Sunday and shook the historic Emilia Romagna region.
Old buildings including churches and towers collapsed or were damaged. An estimated 3,000 people were left homeless.
The initial quake hit at 4.04 am (0204 GMT). The epicentre was 36 kilometres north of the city of Bologna and had a depth of around 10 kilometres, according to the National Geophysical and Volcanic Institute.
A magnitude-5.1 aftershock tremor followed a few hours later, the news agency Ansa reported.
Television images showed footage of collapsed buildings and churches, with rubble covering the streets.
The quake shook Ferrara, the Renaissance city that is a UNESCO world heritage site, Modena, Bologna and Mantua. Worst hit areas were the towns of San Felice and Finale Emilia, where many historic buildings were severely damaged. Most of the deaths occurred in Sant 'Agostino.//DPA
