Little time to recover as Italy hit by 2 powerful earthquakes

A pair of powerful earthquakes shook parts of Italy, collapsing buildings and snarling a major highway, just two months after a powerful earthquake in the country killed nearly 300 people.

The first earthquake, which hit at 7:10 p.m. local time (1:10 p.m. ET), measured a magnitude 5.5. Two hours later, at 9:18 p.m. local time (3:18 p.m. ET), the second and more powerful quake, measured at magnitude 6.1, hit.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

News crews covering damage from the first quake caught the second quake on camera.

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People screamed in the streets after the second temblor of the night. "It was a very strong earthquake, apocalyptic," Ussita Mayor Marco Rinaldi told the ANSA news agency. "People are screaming on the street and now we are without lights."

Two people were injured in the Visso area, but otherwise there were no other immediate reports of victims, said Italy's civil protection chief, Fabrizio Curcio.

Old churches crumbled and other buildings were damaged, though many of them were in zones that were declared off-limits after the Aug. 24 quake that flattened parts of three towns.

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"We're without power, waiting for emergency crews," said Mauro Falcucci, the mayor of Castelsantangelo sul Nera, near the epicenter. Speaking to Sky TG24, he said: "We can't see anything. It's tough. Really tough."

Additional reporting by the Associated Press.