Slideshow: Italian earthquake

Rescue workers were desperately seeking survivors under collapsed buildings after a powerful earthquake struck the medieval town of L’Aquila, central Italy, in the early hours of Monday morning as people slept

Rescue workers carry an injured woman away from the wreckage of her house. The quake struck in the Abruzzo region of the Apennines at about 3.30 a.m., sending shock waves that were felt as far as Rome nearly 100 km away

Rescuers called for quiet as they strained to hear for signs of life of the people trapped amid the rubble

A firefighter looks at a victim of the quake lying amid the wreckage of a house. 260 people have been killed in what is the worst earthquake, in terms of the death toll, to hit Italy since 2002 when 30 schoolchildren died in a quake in the south of the country

A man walks past ruined buildings in L'Aquila. The medieval city with some 100,000 inhabitants is famed for its Romanesque churches which have been frequently damaged by quakes over the centuries. A university dormitory, churches and a bell tower are believed to be among the buildings that have collapsed

The body of a victim lies on the street surrounded by collapsed buildings. According to The US Geological Survey the earthquake measured 6.3 on the Richter scale while Italian officials recorded 5.8

The death toll is expected to rise as more and more victims are found trapped beneath the rubble. Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi cancelled a trip to Moscow and declared a national state of emergency

Elderly people huddle in the streets in the aftermath of the earthquake. Tens of thousands of people are feared to have been left homeless

Rescuers sift through the wreckage of a house in L'Aquila. Four children were reported killed after their home collapsed

People are comforted as the rescue operation continues. Many remain unaccounted for as the emergency services search for those still trapped in the wreckage of buildings

Day two in the aftermath of the quake: a coroner carries the body of a child to the coffin where his mother lies in Onna, one of the towns hardest-hit by the earthquake

Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, and Civil Protection Chief, Guido Bertolaso, meet journalists in L’Aquila, central Italy. 260 people have been killed and 1,500 injured, although this toll is yet again expected to rise as more bodies are found trapped under the rubble

An injured man walks past destroyed homes in the Italian town of Onna. Some 100,000 people have been evacuated in the area, with a tent city being prepared because of the danger of after-shocks

A rescue dog from Trento inspects the rubble of collapsed buildings in the hope of finding survivors trapped beneath. At least 15 people are still unaccounted for

An aerial view of a flattened building in L’Aquila. Few buildings were left unscathed and residents wondered whether it would be months or years before they could safely return

People lie in hospital beds outside in the road after the earthquake caused the collapse of St. Salvatore Hospital in L’Aquila

A Red Cross rescue worker comforts a child in a refugee camp set up just outside the Abruzzo capital L’Aquila. The makeshift tents provided little comfort against the chilly mountain air

Italian firefighters survey the scene of destruction infront of them. Monday’s earthquake was the most devastating since 1980, when more than 2,700 people were killed in the town of Eboli, south of Naples

A woman stands outside one of the makeshift tents near the city of L’Aquila. Tens of thousands of people, left homeless by the quake, spent the night in tent cities. Thousands of rescue workers are in the region, working day and night, to find any remaining bodies still trapped in the rubble