ROME, (AFP) – A strong earthquake in central Italy claimed at least six lives and eight people were reported missing, public safety and hospital sources said.

An elderly woman and a little girl were crushed in their home in the town of Fossa near the Abruzzo capital L'Aquila, the all-news Sky TV channel reported, while hospital sources said another four children were killed.

Another eight people were missing in nearby San Demetrio dei Vestini, public safety officials said.

The quake, which was also felt in Rome, had a magnitude of 5.8 and an epicentre some five kilometers (three miles) outside L'Aquila, a town of 60,000 residents in the Apennine mountains, Italian public safety officials said.

It struck at 3:32 am (0132 GMT) some 95 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Rome, the US Geological Survey said on its website.

Some 15,000 people suffered a power outage in the region, while part of the highway linking L'Aquila to Rome was closed, the ANSA news agency reported.

The quake came just hours after a 4.6-magnitude tremor shook Italy's north-central region with no reports of damage.

That quake occurred at 10:20 pm on Sunday near Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region and was exceptionally deep at some 28 kilometres, public safety officials told ANSA.

Because of its depth, the tremor was felt over a wide area, notably in the Marche region on the Adriatic coast.

People there felt both earthquakes. A powerful earthquake in the region claimed 13 lives in 1997 and damaged or destroyed priceless cultural heritage.

People inland near Bologna, as far north as Trieste and as far south as Aquila, also reported feeling Sunday's quake, ANSA added.

Italy is criss-crossed by two fault lines, with some 20 million people at risk from earthquakes.

Deadly tremors of the past include an October 2002 quake that killed 30 people including 27 pupils and their teacher who were crushed under their schoolhouse in the tiny medieval village of San Giuliano di Puglia.

Twenty-two years earlier, on November 23, 1980, a violent quake struck the southern region of Irpiona near Naples, killing 2,570, injuring 8,850 and displacing 30,000.

Wow... a quake in Italy seems so rare. I never hear about it...

Fear mother nature. I think she was on the rag during this incident.

That sucks I have two groups of friends visiting over there for Spring Break. I hope them and everyone else is ok.

This happened hours ago and more than 90 are currently reported dead.

I lived in Italy for a while so the usual best wishes and condolences to everyone having to cope in Italy.

ow. that is horrible. at least it didnt hit any major towns like rome or naples.

aww thats horrible, hope not too many casualties.

geez, a rare quake that has caused major damage and lose.

my wife woke me up this morning with this news.
But she heard it wrong and told me that 10,000 buildings were destroyed and tons of people dead. So, I'm happy t hear that it was only 6.3.
Still, it's an awful news.