Italy earthquake: At least 37 dead after magnitude 6.2 quake as officials warn death toll likely to rise

Local officials describe 'apocalyptic' scene as almost entire towns and villages reduced to rubble

At least 37 people are dead following the major earthquake which struck central Italy early on Wednesday morning, according to Italian media, with officials warning the death toll is likely to rise further.

Rescue teams continue to race to pull people out of the rubble after a magnitude 6.2 quake struck near the Umbrian city of Norcia, at around 3.30am local time.

At least 11 people died in just two small neighbouring towns, Amatrice and Accumoli, while an official at the nearby village Pescara del Tronto described an "apocalyptic" scene.

"The town isn't here anymore," said the mayor of Amatrice, Serio Pirozzi. Aerial pictures from the scene showed swathes of the town had been destroyed.

Pirozzi told state-run RAI radio and Sky TG24 that residents were buried under collapsed buildings, that the lights had gone out and that heavy equipment was needed to clear streets clogged with debris.

More deaths are expected as rescuers begin searching more widely, with the area in question a popular destination for remote holiday homes - many of which are old, poorly-maintained structures.

The mayor of Arquata, Aleandro Petrucci, says "all the houses have collapsed" in Pescara del Tronto.

"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."

After the first impact in Amatrice, dazed residents huddled in piazzas as some 39 aftershocks continued into the early morning hours, some as strong as 5.1.

Resident Maria Gianni told the Associated Press: "The whole ceiling fell but did not hit me. I just managed to put a pillow on my head and I wasn't hit luckily, just slightly injured my leg."

Another woman, sitting in front of her destroyed home with a blanket over her shoulders, said she didn't know what had happened to her loved ones.

"It was one of the most beautiful towns of Italy and now there's nothing left," she said, too distraught to give her name. "I don't know what we'll do."

As daylight dawned, residents, civil protection workers and even priests began digging out with shovels, bulldozers and their bare hands, trying to reach survivors. There was relief as a woman was pulled out alive from one building, followed by a dog.

But there was also anger at the lack of equipment needed to clear the debris and search for survivors. "We need chain saws, shears to cut iron bars, and jacks to remove beams: everything, we need everything," civil protection worker Andrea Gentili told AP.

Italy's national blood drive association appealed for donations to Rieti's hospital, while the office of Premier Matteo Renzi tweeted that heavy equipment was on its way.

The earthquake hit a relatively sparsely populated area on the border between three regions - Umbria, Lazio and Marche, causing damage in all three.

Norcia, around 10km from the epicentre, has a picturesque historic centre and is a popular tourist site.

Mayor Nicola Alemanno said no deaths have been reported deaths in Norcia.

“The anti-seismic structures of the town have held. There is damage to the historic heritage and buildings, but we do not have any serious injuries,” he told Rai.