BREAKING: 6.1 Earthquake Rocks Italy

Wednesday morning a powerful earthquake of 6.1-magnitude rocked Central Italy, damaging buildings.

The quake struck at around 3:30 a.m. local time forcing people to leave their houses and run into streets. Buildings are reported to have been damaged, but there is no news of blackouts.

The quake took place near Amatrice town which is in the province of Rieti and the shocks were felt 100 miles west in capital Rome too.

Amatrice mayor Sergio Perozzi said buildings have collapsed and lights have been gone out.

The Seismological Centre had earlier recorded the tremor as 6.3-magnitude but later reduced it to 6.1.

Reports reveal there were about nine aftershocks of the quake including a magnitude of 4.6 and another of 5.5 as well.

More than 300 people were killed in a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in 2009 in L’Aquila, 55 miles south of the latest epicenter.