[WATCH] 120 dead after shattering earthquake strikes central Italy

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck central Italy, leaving some 120 people confirmed dead and many others trapped under rubble. Fears continue to rise that death tolls will continue mounting as rescue teams are rushing to rescue more people from the rubble, amid reports that some 150 people are missing

"The town isn't here anymore," said the mayor of Amatrice in Rieti, believed to be one of the worst-hit areas, and where residents are buried under the debris of collapsed buildings.

Twitter users have posted images of the towns before and after the quake showing the extent of the damage:

ITALY: Before and After pictures from street in #Amatrice following large #Earthquake - @repubblicait pic.twitter.com/UJ71P9zHo2

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) August 24, 2016

The quake struck just after 3:30 a.m. and was felt across a broad section of central Italy, including the capital Rome where people in homes in the historic centre felt a long swaying followed by some 80 aftershocks so far. The epicentre was around Accumoli where several people died. First images of damage showed debris in the street and some collapsed buildings in towns and villages that dot much of the Umbrian countryside.

According to reports, many of the dead were in the village of Pescara del Tronto and there are fears that the number of casualties here could rise. Elsewhere, much of the town of Amatrice was reduced to rubble

Although it struck at a shallow depth of 10km, the earthquake's intensity was compared to the Aquila earthquake in April 2009 in which 309 people died.

Italian newspaper La Repubblica has released videos of firemen and rescue teams attempting to find people trapped in the rubble throughout the morning:

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre put the magnitude at 6.1. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.2 with the epicentre at Norcia, about 105 miles northwest of Rome, and with a relatively shallow depth of 6 miles. The hardest-hit towns were reported as Amatrice, Accumoli and Norcia.

The mayor of Amatrice, Sergio Pirozzi, told state-run RAI radio and Sky TG24 that residents were buried under collapsed buildings, that the lights had gone out and that heavy equipment was needed to clear streets covered with debris.

"The roads in and out of town are cut off. Half the town is gone. There are people under the rubble. There's been a landslide and a bridge might collapse," Pirozzi said.

"There are tens of victims, so many under the rubble. We're preparing a place for the bodies," he said.

The earthquake hit a relatively sparsely populated area on the border between three regions - Umbria, Lazio and Marche, causing damage in all three.

Earthquake Italy: For assistance: Embassy on +39 348 241 2437; Ministry Foreign Affairs on +356 21242191; or by email on [email protected].

— George W. Vella (@MFAMalta) August 24, 2016

Italy's Civil Protection agency described the earthquake as "severe".

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi paid tribute to the volunteers and civil defence officials who had rushed to the scene in the middle of the night and used their bare hands to dig for survivors.

Foreign affairs minister George W. Vella has urged people to contact the Maltese Embassy for assistance:

The ministry of foreign affairs said that it had no reports of Maltese citizens sustaining injuries or otherwise due to the earthquake.

According to its statement, the ministry said that the Maltese embassy in Rome contacted registered Maltese families living in the area hit by the earthquake to offer the necessary assistance.

The ministry urged relatives of those travelling to the affected area and who have not made contact since the earthquake to contact the Maltese embassy in Rome on +393482412437 or the ministry of foreign affairs on +35621242191