iStock/Thinkstock(ROME) — Thousands of people fled their homes in a panic as a series of strong quakes struck central Italy on Wednesday night, the same area devastated by an August temblor that killed nearly 300 people.
A magnitude 5.5 quake first struck Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. local time near the town of Sellano, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. Just over two hours later, at 9:18 p.m., a second, stronger 6.1 magnitude temblor rattled the same area, this time centered near the town of Visso.
Thousands of people remained out of doors through the night, many in their cars, as a series of seven aftershocks of magnitude 4 or greater — all clustered around the same area — kept the ground trembling in the hours that followed.
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