Italy quake death toll rises to 267

The number of people killed in the massive earthquake that shook central Italy on Wednesday rose to 267 today and nearly 400 injured people were in hospitals, the Civil Protection department said.

It said aftershocks were continuing in the area. More than 900 aftershocks have been registered since the quake struck, 57 of them since last midnight, according to Reuters.

Earlier, Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi declared a state of emergency in the area affected by the earthquake.

The premier authorised an initial €50 million in crisis funding to start the rebuilding process and offered to cancel taxes for those affected, reports the Sky News.

He also called for a national collective effort - dubbed Italian Homes - to build dwellings for the future that will be safe in the event of other quakes.

The fact that the devastation comes just seven years after more than 300 died in the nearby town of L'Aquila has prompted concerns not enough is being done to protect people's property and lives.

Renzi said: "Just as the pain we feel today is strong, so, too, is the pride that belongs to a nation that is able to react in this way to a state of emergency.

"But that is not enough and we must think beyond the state of emergency, that there is a need for a bigger plan, and we will do that together."

Meanwhile, a rescue team pulled a 10-year-old girl alive from the rubble of a house in town of Pescara del Tronto, 18 hours after it was flattened by a devastating earthquake in Italy's central Apennines.

The schoolgirl, named Giulia, was rescued late on Wednesday amid cheering but 90 percent of the earthquake victims are being pulled out dead from beneath the rubble, according to rescuers.