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Italy Earthquake Toll Rises To 250 People As Rescuers Hunt For More Survivors

At least 250 people have died in an earthquake which has devastated parts of central Italy.

The 6.2-magnitude quake struck the Lazio, Umbria and Le Marche regions in the early hours of Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction.

Regional officials confirmed overnight that the number of dead had dramatically risen from 159 to 250.

But dozens of people are still believed to be trapped in Amatrice, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto.

At least 365 people have been taken to hospital with injuries, Italy's civil protection agency said.

Thousands of people have also been left homeless by the disaster.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said a "number of British nationals" had been affected by the "terrible" quake.

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Mr Johnson said extra staff had been sent to the region to help provide support to Britons in the area.

"As the scale of the disaster has become clearer we now know that a number of British nationals have been affected," he said.

Sergio Pirozzi, mayor of Amatrice, said: "The town isn't here any more."

He added: "I believe the toll will rise."

Many of the victims were children, Italy's health minister Beatrice Lorenzin said.

An 18-month-old girl was among the victims in Arquata del Tronto, while an 11-year-old boy died after the collapse of a hotel in Amatrice.

Rescue teams and volunteers have poured in from across Italy, using bulldozers and often their bare hands to pull people from the wreckage.

In Amatrice, volunteer Christian Bianchetti said: "Unfortunately, 90% we pull out are dead, but some make it, that's why we are here."

A 10-year-old girl was rescued from the ruins of a building in the town of Pescara del Tronto , after being trapped upside down for 17 hours.

Footage shows the girl's dust-covered legs poking out of the debris, with cheers breaking out as she was freed.

Some of the survivors have described apocalyptic scenes "like Dante's Inferno" after the quake, with buildings razed to the ground and dust and gas filling the air.

Tremors were strong enough to be felt 90 miles away in Rome, where authorities have ordered structural tests on the Colosseum.

More than 200 aftershocks jolted Lazio on Wednesday, some as strong as magnitude 5.1.

At 5am local time on Thursday a 4.5-magnitude aftershock struck Amatrice, where hundreds of people spent the night sleeping in cars or tents.

Monica, who is from the town, said: "We were sleeping in the car and there were shocks all night.

"When the biggest one came, the car started moving and shaking.

"But what have we got to lose now? We have lost our house. So many friends and family are dead. We have lost everything, even our fear."

:: Why Tremors Happen Almost Daily In Italy

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said that his cabinet would meet on Thursday to decide measures to help affected communities.

He said: "No family, no city, no hamlet will be left behind".