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Italy earthquake: Mass funeral for 35 victims

A mass funeral has taken place in Italy for some of the 290 people killed in Wednesday's powerful earthquake.

Thirty-five victims from the town of Arquata were mourned at a sports hall in the regional capital, Ascoli Piceno.

The coffins, laid out in rows on the floor, include two painted white for two children killed.

The death toll from the quake, which struck a mountainous central region, has again risen as more bodies were found.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was among those attending the funeral along with President Sergio Mattarella, who earlier visited Amatrice, the town with the most casualties.

Bishop Giovanni d'Ercole urged those affected not to lose courage.

"Together, above all we will restore life to our communities, starting from our traditions and from the rubble of death," he said.

Most victims of the earthquake were Italian, but several foreigners were among those killed, including three Britons.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by hundreds of aftershocks, with one severely damaging a key bridge into Amatrice.

"Let's hope it doesn't collapse or the town will be cut off from both sides," said Mayor Sergio Pirozzi.

More aftershocks were registered in the early hours of Saturday, one with a magnitude of four.

The ground beneath Accumoli, another severely affected village, sank 20cm (8in) as a result of the earthquake, satellite images obtained by Italy's scientific authorities show.

The district which sank is shown in red on this image compiled from data from a Japanese satellite and published by Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).

Map
INGV
Funeral in in Ascoli Piceno for the victims of the Italian earthquake, on 27 August , 2016
AP
A man grieving in Italy before mass funerals for those killed in Wednesday's earthquake, 27 August 2016
AP
A workman looks at buildings damaged in Italy's earthquake
GETTY IMAGES

Flags are flying at half mast across the country as Italy remembers victims of the quake.

More than 200 people died in Amatrice alone. Along with Arquata and Accumoli, Pescara del Tronto was also hard-hit.

Many bodies have also been brought to a makeshift morgue in an aircraft hangar in the city of Rieti, where relatives have been identifying loved ones.

The first funeral for one of the earthquake's victims was held on Friday, for the son of a state official who died in Amatrice.

At least 388 people have been treated in hospital for their injuries while more than 2,000 people were made homeless.

The 6.2-magnitude quake hit in the early hours of Wednesday, 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome.

Source: BBC News:

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