At least 159 people have been killed and dozens more are missing after a powerful earthquake struck central Italy, reducing ancient towns to rubble.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said the epicentre was northeast of Rome, near Norcia in Umbria, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude at 6.2.

"It was so strong. It seemed the bed was walking across the room by itself with us on it," said Lina Mercantini, of Cesalli, Umbria.

As dawn broke, emergency services and residents were scrambling to rescue people trapped under the ruins of razed old buildings, digging with shovels, bulldozers and even their bare hands to reach survivors.

Earthquake Claims At Least 120 Lives And Turns Picturesque Italian Towns To Ruins

:: Why Italy Has To Live With The Constant Threat Of Earthquakes


Dazed and frightened families - some in tears - could be seen huddling in the streets, wrapped in blankets.

Voices could be heard from under the rubble.

Rescuers pulled an eight-year-old girl alive from the earthquake rubble on Wednesday evening.

Image: A collapsed house following an earthquake in Amatrice, central Italy Image: A destroyed car is seen following the earthquake in Amatrice Image: A building is severely damaged after being struck by the earthquake Image: Rescuers walk through rubble following the earthquake in Amatrice Image: An injured person is carried away on a stretcher following an earthquake at Pescara del Tront Image: A man walks amid the carnage in Pescara del Tronto, after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hits central Italy Image: Rocco Girardi. 75, is rescued from ruins in Arquata del Tronto Image: An aerial view shows the decimated hamlet Image: A man is pulled alive from the rubble in Amatrice Image: A girl is rescued from the rubble in Amatrice Image: Rescuers and people walk along a road in Accumoli di Rieti Image: Rescuers continue to look for survivors in the devastated town of Amatrice Image: Rescuers gather food and basic necessities for survivors in Amatrice Image: Collapsed buildings in Amatrice Image: Amatrice is among the worst-hit towns Image: Shocked residents assess the damage in Amatrice, in northern Lazio Image: An injured woman is carried to safety in Amatrice Image: Rescuers search through the rubble of a collapsed house in Amatrice Image: The interior of a house after the quake in Amatrice Image: A woman in tears as she is led to safety after being rescued from her home Image: The quake was felt across a large swathe of Italy Image: A police officer searches through rubble Image: The earthquake hit just after 3.30am local time and sent people running from their homes Image: The epicentre of the quake was near near Norcia in Umbria Image: Rescuers dig through the ruins in Amatrice Image: A dog is rescued from the earthquake rubble Image: Rescuers work following an earthquake that hit Amatrice Image: Rescuers work at a collapsed house Image: A damaged house in Arquata del Tronto, in the Marche region Image: The wall has crumbled in the side of a house in the quake Image: Cracks in a damaged house in Arquata del Tronto Image: The once picturesque town of Arquata del Tronto is reduced to ruins Image: A home ripped apart by the quake Image: A drone photo shows the damages following an earthquake in Pescara del Tronto, central Italy Image: Rescuers work at a collapsed building in Amatrice Image: Volunteers work to move rubble and debris during search and rescue operations in Amatrice, central Italy, following an earthquake /

Several people were reportedly killed in Pescara del Tronto, in the Marche region, to the east of the quake epicentre.

Seventy-five-year-old Rocco Girardi was brought out alive from the carnage in Arquata del Tronto.

Aleandro Petrucci, the village's mayor, said Pescara was one of "two or three hamlets that have just completely disintegrated".

Image: The epicentre of the quake was northeast of Rome, near Norcia in Umbria

A family of four, including two children, were confirmed dead in the commune of Accumoli.

"Now that daylight has come, we see that the situation is even more dreadful than we feared," said its mayor, Stefano Petrucci.

Sergio Perozzi, mayor of Amatrice, a picturesque town in northern Lazio turned to ruins by the quake, said buildings had collapsed and lights had gone out.

Image: A man is pulled alive from the ruins in Amatrice

"The town isn't here anymore," he said. "There are voices under the rubble, we have to save the people there."

There were many fatalities, but images also showed survivors - including a woman and a young girl - being pulled alive from beneath the ruins, and dogs rescued.

At the town's badly damaged hospital, patients were reportedly being moved out into the streets.

Image: A girl is rescued from the rubble in Amatrice

The town's clock tower stood frozen, showing the moment the deadly quake struck - just after 3.30am local time - while people were asleep.

Sky's Mark Stone, at the scene, said: "Roads around the area are impassable, so it is problematic getting the right sort of equipment to the right places."

Agostino Severo, a Rome resident visiting Illica, north of Amatrice, said: "We came out to the piazza and it looked like Dante's Inferno. People crying for help."

Glimmers Of Hope Amongst Earthquake Rubble