Italy declares state of emergency after quake as death toll rises to 250

After rescue teams using sniffer dogs, bulldozers and their bare hands worked through the night and on through the following day, the national civil protection agency reported that at least 250 people had died in the 6.2-magnitude quake.

Another 365 were being treated in hospital, it said, while an unknown number remained trapped in the rubble of collapsed and damaged buildings.

According to reports, at least 470 aftershocks shook the area since the quake struck in the early hours of Wednesday, some as strong as magnitude 5.1.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi reportedly promised in Rome to “rebuild and start again” in “these beautiful towns, with their wonderful past that will never end” and pledged €50m in funds for rebuilding.

In addition to the funds, Renzi cancelled taxes for residents and announced a new initiative, "Italian Homes", to tackle criticism over poor construction. According to the Guardian, experts estimate that some 70% of Italy’s buildings are not built to anti-seismic standards, with codes routinely not applied to older buildings when they are refurbished, and not respected at all when new ones are built.

The BBC reports that at least five Britons were killed, citing a local official in Amatrice. A Spaniard and five Romanians were also among the dead, according to their governments. The Romanian government said 11 of its citizens were missing. But the Guardian adds that there is no clear estimate of the missing because the area was flooded with summer holidaymakers.

More than 70 were initially thought to be staying at the Hotel Roma in Amatrice, but the number was later lowered to 35, many of whom are still unaccounted for.