当地时间4月6日凌晨3点32分意大利中部地区发生强烈地震，目前已造成150多人死亡，另有1500余人受伤。地震造成数千座建筑物倒塌，导致数万民众无家可归，意大利首都罗马虽有震感，但并未遭受损失。意大利公共安全部门的监测报告称，此次地震发生在首都罗马东北约96公里处阿布鲁佐大区的拉奎拉市，震级达里氏6.2级。拉奎拉城历史悠久，建造于13世纪，约有居民6.8万人；由于年代久远，其城内的历史建筑物都很脆弱，多座在文艺复兴时期建造的教堂和其它古迹也已倒塌。

A rescue dog inspects the rubble¹ of a collapsed² house after an earthquake in Aquila, Italy, April 6, 2009.

Rescuers scrambled³ in the dark to find survivors⁴ from a powerful earthquake in central Italy that killed at least 150 people as thousands of homeless sought shelter in hastily built tent cities.

With nightfall adding to the driving rain hampering⁵ the search, emergency services said 100 people had been pulled alive from the rubble of Renaissance⁶ and Baroque buildings around the historic town L'Aquila since the quake struck early Monday.

The government has estimated that up to 70,000 people have been left homeless by the quake which measured magnitude 6.2 that damaged 10,000 buildings, many beyond repair.

The epicentre was under L'Aquila and massive destruction was reported for 30 kilometers (20 miles) in all directions from the town. The nearby villages of Villa⁷ Sant'Angelo and Borgo di Castelnuovo were practically wiped out.

Many residents fled L'Aquila, some even on foot. Others were lucky enough to find shelter in army barracks, stadiums and sports centres as overnight temperatures were expected to dip to four degrees Celsius⁸ (39 Fahrenheit).

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared a state of emergency in the Abruzzo region and cancelled a trip to Russia in order to visit L'Aquila, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Rome.

He said an initial 30 million euros (40 million dollars) had been earmarked to help the region.

Rescue workers said at least 150 people were killed, of which 98 had already been identified, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. while Berlusconi told a news conference here that 1,500 people were injured.

"No one will be abandoned to his fate," he vowed⁹, adding that a tent village was being set up that could accommodate between 16,000 and 20,000 people.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni pledged 1,700 additional rescuers, including 1,500 firefighters.

He said rescue efforts would continue working "day and night", and television footage showed rescue workers in L'Aquila toiling¹⁰ under huge lights after night fell.

But much of the town was quiet in the evening as most residents had left.

"Some of the inhabitants have left of their own will, while others have been escorted by the authorities," a public safety official told AFP.

"You can say that most of the old city has been emptied of its residents," adding that it was mostly elderly people who decided¹¹ to stay.

The quake struck just after 3:30 am (0130 GMT) and lasted about 30 seconds, bringing down many historic buildings, including the dome¹² on the 16th century San Bernardino church. The city's cathedral was also damaged.

Roofs caved in on sleeping inhabitants and boulders¹³ fell off mountain slopes blocking many roads. At least five children were among the dead in L'Aquila, according to police.

Doctors treated people in the open air outside L'Aquila's main hospital as only one operating room was functioning.

L'Aquila resident Maria Francesco said: "It was the apocalypse, 20 minutes of hell, our house collapsed. It's destroyed, and there's nothing left to recover."

"It's a scandal what's happened," she told AFP. "For the past three months there have been regular tremors¹⁴, and they've been getting stronger and stronger!"

Luigi D'Andrea, a student, was asleep when the quake struck and escaped through a neighbour's flat, only to return to recover his computer. "I'm very lucky I wasn't hurt, but now I don't know what to do, whether I should leave here or not. I'll wait and see."

L'Aquila suffered the biggest toll¹⁵ while police reported deaths in the towns and villages of Castelnuovo, Poggio Picenze, Torminparte, Fossa, Totani and Villa Sant'Angelo, ANSA reported.

Offers of help poured in from around the world.

"We want to send our condolences to the families there," US President Barack Obama said during an official visit in Turkey.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the US embassy in Rome would provide 50,000 dollars in emergency relief funding, while US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi telephoned Berlusconi to offer condolences.

Italian authorities told countries offering assistance they did not need rescue teams.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon was "saddened by the loss of life and destruction of property in central Italy," his spokeswoman said.

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said his country was shocked by the tragedy, adding: "We sympathise with those who have suffered and share their sorrow."

Pope Benedict XVI sent his prayers, the Vatican said.

Italy is criss-crossed by two fault lines, making it one of Europe's most quake-vulnerable regions , with some 20 million people at risk.

Vocabulary:

criss-crossed: 纵横交错

fault lines: 断层线，裂纹线