Several killed in Italian earthquake

At least four people have been killed and up to 50 others injured in a 5.9-magnitude earthquake near the northern Italian city of Bologna, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.

The 5.9 -magnitude quake struck in the middle of the night, about 35km north of the city of Bologna.

The officials say the four victims died when the buildings they were working in collapsed.

Italian TV showed damaged factories and church steeples in the region. Aftershocks have been reported.

Rescue teams are now combing the area amid reports that a number of people may be buried under rubble.

The earthquake struck at a relatively shallow depth of 10km just after 0400 local time.

It was felt across a huge swathe of northern Italy, including the cities of Bologna, Ferrara, Verona and Mantua.

The tremor forced many terrified residents into the streets.

Two people were killed in Sant'Agostino when a ceramics factory collapsed. Another person was killed in Ponte Rodoni do Bondeno, emergency workers were quoted as saying by Italy's Ansa news agency.

About 50 people were injured - but none seriously, reports say.

"I heard a big bang and I ran on the terrace, I was afraid of falling," a local resident told Ansa.

TV footage later showed people inspecting damaged houses, offices and historic buildings. Parts of a fortress in one town reportedly collapsed.

Emergency officials ordered the evacuation of patients from hospitals as a precautionary measure.

In January, a 5.3-magnitude quake hit northern Italy but caused no injuries.

The last major tremor to hit the country killed nearly 300 people in the central town of L'Aquila in 2009.