Italy Earthquake Leaves 160 Dead, Hundreds Missing

The death toll from the earthquake that devastated Italy on Aug. 24 has risen to more than 160 with hundreds more reportedly missing.

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook Norcia in Italy on Wednesday, affecting the towns of Amatrice, Pescara del Tronto and Accumoli, near the epicenter. The quake was so strong that it turned several towns into rubble killing more than 160 individuals. The numbers are still rising as rescuers strive to dig deep into the rubble in hopes of finding trapped survivors.

The effect deemed devastating as the earthquake occurred while most of the population was asleep. Italian authorities say that the disaster exposed the country's vulnerability to such events. Help started flooding after the quake occurred with U.S. President Barrack Obama expressing his grief and condolences towards his Italian counterpart. The U.S. also promised to provide help to Italy.

Residents of some towns were evacuated right after the earthquake, while rescuers combed through the rubble.

"We had one of the most beautiful places in Italy and now we have nothing," said Amatrice Mayor Sergio Pirozzi, in an interview. The Mayor was also quoted saying that almost three-quarters of the town were destroyed.

After the 6.2 magnitude earthquake, the Italian earthquake Institute (INGV) reported that there were 60 aftershocks recorded in a span of four hours after the first strike with the strongest magnitude of 5.5, according to a report by USA Today.

Currently, more than 4,000 rescuers are reportedly working to rescue potential survivors. There were 368 injured people rescued from the center of the earthquake, according to a report by BBC.

The tireless rescuers are continuously digging through the rubble as their hope ignited when a young girl was rescued 17 hours after being trapped.