"Italy Quake Death Toll Nears 250 As Rescuers Search Demolished Towns"

"AMATRICE, Italy -- The death toll from a devastating earthquake in central Italy reached at least 241 people on Thursday and could rise further after rescue teams worked through the night to try to find survivors under the rubble of flattened towns.

The 6.2 magnitude quake struck a cluster of mountain communities 140 km (85 miles) east of Rome early on Wednesday as people slept, destroying hundreds of homes.

The Civil Protection department officially revised the death toll down to 241 from a previous 247 given earlier on Thursday morning."

Steve Scherer and Gabriele Pileri report for Reuters August 25, 2016.