Rescue workers try to keep the faith as night falls in quake-ravaged Amatrice - Action News
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WorldCBC IN ITALY

Rescue workers try to keep the faith as night falls in quake-ravaged Amatrice

CBC's Margaret Evans reports from Amatrice in central Italy, one of several towns devastated by Wednesday's earthquake.

The desperate search for survivors continues in one of several towns reduced to rubble

People cover themselves with blankets as they prepare to spend the night on the street following an earthquake in Amatrice, Italy. (Stefano Rellandini/Reuters)

Emergency vehicles carrying heavy machinery were still winding their way through the hills of Rieti in central Italy as the sun set on the first full day of rescue operations following this morning's deadly pre-dawn earthquake.

The magnitude 6 quake brought ancient buildings tumbling down in a string of medieval towns scattered across the region, killing at least 159 people.

Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin said the casualties include many children, but she didn't provide a specific number.

The initial earthquake was followed by dozens of aftershocks, the most powerful of which measured 5.5.

As night fell, bulldozers were still working to clear a landslide from a road just on the outskirts of Amatrice, one of the worst-hit towns.
Rescue operations continued deep into the night in the devastated village of Amatrice. (Margaret Evans/CBC)

Earlier in the day, Mayor Sergio Pirozzi told reporters: "Three quarters of the town is not there anymore. The aim now is to save as many lives as possible. There are voices under the rubble, we have to save the people there."

The number of dead in the tiny town had already reached 35, according to the ANSA news agency.
Rescuers work on a collapsed building following an earthquake in Amatrice. (Ciro De Luca/Reuters)

The flashing lights of police cars and fire trucks pulsed through the darkness. Those trying to reach the top of the village walked the final few kilometres to keep roads clear.

The town itself was a contrast between the silent dark of destruction and sorrow and bright pools of light where earth movers and rescue workers continued to search for survivors.
Rescuers work following Wednesday's earthquake that rocked Amatrice and several other towns in central Italy. (Stefano Rellandini/Reuters)

Sniffer dogs were still being led into streets that were closed off to residents and journalists. They're trained to find people alive, one dog handler told the CBC, adding the workers were trying to remain optimistic.

Tired-looking crews staggered out of those crushed hamlets covered in dust, with helmets, shovels and picks, looking like miners emerging from the gloom.

All the while, everyone was waiting and listening, hoping to hear the sound of someone in need of rescue.

Drone footage shows devastation from Italy quake

8 years ago
Duration 1:38
Aerial footage shows extent of damage in town of Amatrice

With files from Megan Williams and The Associated Press