Italy earthquake: Death toll reaches 159 as 6.2 magnitude quake wreaks devastation

The quake struck in the early hours of the morning when most residents were asleep

Volunteers work in Amatrice, central Italy where a earthquake struck (EPA)

The death toll after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit central Italy has risen to 159, Italy's civil protection agency has said.

The quake struck in the early hours of the morning when most residents were asleep, razing homes and buckling roads in a cluster of communities some 140 km (85 miles) east of Rome.

Since then, the death toll has kept rising and it is expected to continue doing so.

At least 159 people are now known to have died, raising a previous count of 120 announced by the Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi after he visited rescue crews and survivors in the hard-hit town of Amatrice and flew over other demolished towns in nearby Le Marche region.

Mr Renzi said 34 people died in Le Marche. He added that the identification of quake bodies was a difficult process.

Sniffer dogs, earthmovers and other heavy equipment are arriving to the quake zone area to help with the rescue effort and provide for those left homeless.

Tent cities and kitchens were being set up in and around the major towns hit on Wednesday.

More than 12 hours after the quake struck a slow procession of earth-moving vehicles loaded on the beds of firetrucks made their way to the edge of the hard-hit hilltop city Amatrice.

Rescue teams poured in from nearby regions, including Alpine rescue experts from Abruzzo and canine units from elsewhere in Italy.

Additional reporting by Associated Press