Quake Hits Cental Italy

..c The Associated Press

 ROME (AP) - A mild earthquake shook central Italy on Saturday, cracking medieval churches and crumbling rock walls, roofs and 
houses in towns and villages around Rome. No injuries were immediately reported.

The earthquake hit at 11:35 a.m. with a preliminary magnitude of 4.1, Italy's National Geophysics Institute said. It put the ep
icenter at Monti Tiburtini, about 30 miles southeast of Rome.

The quake rocked buildings in the capital but there were no immediate reports of damage there.

Near the epicenter, in the town of Cervara, the quake opened cracks in the foundation and front of a 15th-century church, promp
ting the mayor to order it closed.

To the north, the shaking cracked the vault of the recently restored church of St. Mary of the Assumption in the town of Gerano
 and collapsed the roof of a four-story building there.

Other damage across central Italy included an abandoned house made of rock that collapsed, and the attic apartments of four bui
ldings.

AP-NY-03-11-00 0856EST

 Copyright 2000 The Associated Press.  The information  contained in the AP news report may not be published,  broadcast, rewri
tten or otherwise distributed without  prior written authority of The Associated Press. 

 

Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery,
 go to KW: News Profiles and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reute
rs from the list on the left.

To edit your profile, go to keyword NewsProfiles.
For all of today's news, go to keyword News.