Horror as eight-month-old baby, his brother, 9, and their parents are feared dead after Italy quake flattens their home
A YOUNG family including an eight-month-old tot and his nine-year-old brother were among those killed by an "apocalyptic" earthquake in Italy.
The children's parents also died when the family home collapsed as they slept in the village of Accumoli.
Rescuer Stefano Petrucci said: “Four people are under the rubble, but they are not showing any sign of life. Two parents and two children.”
Heartbreaking images of another child lying motionless on a bench covered by a blanket emerged from the scene this morning.
At least 73 people are dead and 150 more are missing following the "apocalyptic" 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Italy overnight.
Rescuers describe hearing "children screaming" from beneath the rubble.
Two brothers, aged four and seven, were saved after hiding under their bed at their grandmother's home.
Dozens of buildings collapsed in the town of Amatrice - near the popular tourist city of Perugia - trapping scores of locals in the debris.
Several other surrounding towns and villages were decimated by the quake.
Amatrice's mayor declared: "My town isn't here anymore."
The quake was so strong it could be felt in Rome - 100 miles away - and even as far as Croatia.
Buildings in the Italian capital shook for 20 seconds, according to La Repubblica.
The epicentre was in the Umbrian town of Norcia with the town of Accumoli also badly affected.
Are you in the affected area? Email [email protected] or call 0207 782 4094
More than 100 people remain unaccounted for in the village of Arquata del Tronto.
Aleandro Petrucci, the mayor of nearby Arquata, said: "It's a disaster.
"We are trying to evacuate the village and move them to a sports field. I've just arrived and I feel like crying.
"I've never seen such an apocalyptic scene except for the L'Aquila earthquake on television."
Amatrice mayor Sergio Pirozzi told RAI: “Three quarters of the town is not there anymore.
“The aim now is to save as many lives as possible. There are voices under the rubble, we have to save the people there.”
Brit Tourists reported feeling the tremors as far as Rome, with a number taking to Twitter to voice their concerns.
Sarah Conrad said: "Pretty sure I was just woken up by an earthquake in Rome.
"I thought someone snuck into my hotel room & was jumping on the bed. Both scary!"
Paul O'Halloran, also in Rome, added: "Just got woke up by an earthquake! Bed and window shutters moving!"
Brit Emma Tucker, who was in the area at the time, said: "It was pitch dark, very cold. Nobody in our group had a clue what to do in an earthquake."
Renata Moriono told the : "I am on holiday in my home village in the Marche region, a few kilometres away from Amatrice and the epicentre.
"I felt a very strong shaking at about 3am ... It went on for ages - then again about 1/2 hour or 45 min later. It was like 1997. Terrifying."
It is thought the epicentre of the quake was about 4km beneath Accumoli (Rieti), which is now almost inaccessible.
Why is Italy hit by so many deadly earthquakes?
Italy is one of the most seismically active countries in Europe and has seen many devastating earthquakes.
This morning’s quake in Amatrice has killed dozens and left hundreds trapped under rubble in the devastated village.
Earthquakes result from weaknesses in the earth’s crust, such as those that run all the way up the spine of Italy.
When these weaknesses fracture they trigger earthquakes.
Italy sits on the meeting point of the Eurasian Plate and African Plate, giant rock structures which make up part of the earth’s shell.
The Alps mountain range is formed where these two plates push together, which they are still doing at a rate of 3cm a year.
Minor tremors are common in the country, but events such as today’s magnitude 6.2 quake remain relatively rare.
The last major earthquake to hit the country was in 2012. The magnitude 6 quake in Medolla killed 20 people.
In 2009 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the medieval city of L’Aquila killing close to 300 people.
The site of the 2009 quake is just an hour’s drive from today’s earthquake, in one of the most seismically active regions of the country.
The 2009 quake is believed to have been caused by huge rock faces jerking away from each other.
There have been 18 recorded earthquakes in Italy in the last decade, ranging from magnitude 4.6 to magnitude 6.3.
One of the most devastating was in 1908 when the Sicilian town of Messina was destroyed. Estimates suggest this quake could have killed up to 100,000 people.
Local media suggests it struck at around 3.30am.
The first victims emerged as an elderly couple in Pescara del Tronto, in the Marche region, ten miles from the epicentre.
A family of four were also reportedly dead in Accumoli - four miles from the source of the quake, which struck at 3.30am local time.
Tremors also destroyed homes in Amatrice, where dozens more are feared dead.
The town's mayor Sergio Pirozzi said: "Half the town is gone."
He added: "There are people under the rubble... There's been a landslide and a bridge might collapse."
Pope Francis cleared his schedule to lead pilgrims in prayer for the victims.
The pontiff expressed his shock and pain as he addressed the St Peter's Square crowd with a rosary bead in his hand.
Tommaso della Longa, a spokesman for the Red Cross, said a grim scene is emerging from Amatrice this morning.
He said: "The picture we got from our delegate in Amatrice are telling us a terrible story of a small city almost completely destroyed," he said.
"The situation is difficult at the moment.
"These areas are in central Italy and are in middle of mountains and valleys.
"There are small houses in the middle of the valley that are completely alone and they need help. It'll take some time to reach them."
He added finding survivors is a priority.
Local eyewitness Lina Mercantini of Ceselli in Umbria, told Reuters news agency: "It was so strong. It seemed the bed was walking across the room by itself with us on it."
The British Foreign Office updated its advice for anyone stuck in the affected area.
It said on its website: "An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck Central Italy during the early hours of 24 August. The earthquake was also felt in Rome.
"If you are in the affected area, you should follow the advice of the local authorities. If you are in Italy, Civil Protection have activated a hotline 800840840 for information.
"To learn more about what to do before, during, and after an earthquake visit the Protezione Civile website."
Data from previous quakes suggest the damage could be significant, according to the USGS.
In 2009, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in the Aquila region, which was also felt in the Italian capital, left more than 300 dead.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368