L'Aquila honours quake victims with candlelit vigil

Thousands of Italians have held a candlelight vigil to remember the 308 people killed in the earthquake that devastated the central city of L'Aquila a year ago.

About 25,000 people, both residents and outsiders showing their solidarity, walked somberly in the night through the medieval streets of the city carrying torches and candles.

They gathered in front of the city's cathedral and fell silent today at 3.32am., the time a 6.3 magnitude quake struck on 6 April last year and sent people fleeing from crumbling homes. The name of each victim was read out and then a church bell tolled 308 times.

Some residents voiced anger at the pace of the reconstruction, and the fact they have not yet been allowed to return to homes in the historic centre.