Story highlights Nine aftershocks reported after initial quake

"Catastrophic weather" blocking roads to some affected areas

Rome (CNN) The metro system and some schools in Italy's capital, Rome, were evacuated Wednesday following a series of powerful earthquakes that struck the heart of the country.

An initial 5.3-magnitude quake hit central Italy this morning 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) west-northwest of Amatrice, a town devastated by powerful temblors last year, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

While the epicenter was 90 kilometers northeast of Rome, the quake was felt strongly in the capital, sending people running from buildings in a panic.

At least nine aftershocks have been reported since the initial quake, including one as strong as 5.7, and all at a shallow 10 kilometers deep or less, the USGS reported.

(18gen-12:00) #Terremoto, proseguono controlli, 850 #vigilidelfuoco impegnati nel cratere. No richieste soccorso per coinvolti da crolli pic.twitter.com/du9KxJlrME — Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) January 18, 2017

There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage, but firefighters told CNN that heavy snow blocking roads to some affected areas has hampered their initial assessment.

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