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Powerful earthquake hits central and southern Italy

6.6 magnitude quake may be strongest to hit country since 1980

Reports say it struck at depth of just 10km

No casualties have been reported yet

Region already reeling from two tremors in past week

Quake felt as far away as Rome and also in Croatia

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A powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake has hit the same area of central and southern Italy struck by a quake in August and a pair of aftershocks last week

It destroyed already damaged buildings after a week of quakes that have left thousands homeless. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.

Residents already rattled by a constant trembling of the earth rushed into piazzas and streets after being roused from bed by Sunday's 7:40am quake.

Many people still had been sleeping in cars or evacuated to shelters or hotels in other areas after a pair of strong jolts last Wednesday.

The quake was felt throughout the Italian peninsula, with reports as far north as Bolzano and as far south as Bari. Residents rushed into the streets in Rome, where ancient palazzi shook, swayed and lurched for a prolonged spell.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences put the magnitude at 6.5 and said it had a depth of 10 kilometers, a relatively shallow quake near the surface but in the norm for the quake-prone Apennine Mountain region.