Civil protection officials in Italy now say 179 people were killed in Monday's earthquake, 1,500 injured and tens of thousands left homeless. Damage is reported as far away as Rome, about 100 kilometers to the south.
Rescuers spent the day pulling people out of the rubble. Some survivors sobbed, happy to be alive even after losing their homes and most of their possessions. Officials say at least 34 people are still missing.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi promised that no one will be abandoned. He canceled a planned trip to Russia and declared a state of emergency in the Abruzzo region, where several towns are severely damaged.
Italian police chief Antonio Maganelli said police have arrested several looters picking through abandoned houses - a situation he calls sad.
U.S. scientists measured the quake at magnitude 6.3, while Italian seismologists measured it at 5.8.
