Strong earthquake in Italy, 6 people died

The series of houses collapsed when the earthquake struck on May 20 near the city of Bologna, north of Italy, killing at least 6 people.

A clock tower in the city of Finale Emilia, located near the center
shock of the earthquake in northern Italy on May 20. (Photo: BBC)

The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 6 earthquake occurred about 35km north of Bologna city at 4am. Its epicenter is located at a depth of about 10km.

The earthquake shook many northern cities like Mantua, Venice, Milan and Verona. After more than an hour, an aftershock occurred that caused many buildings to collapse. The Italian government confirmed an earthquake that left six people dead, about 50 injured and damaged some cultural heritage in the Emilia Romagna region, the BBC reported.

"I woke up at about 4 am because of the earthquake. It was very strong and took place for about a minute," Frankie Thompson, an Englishman living in Bologna, recalled.

More than 3,000 people were evacuated to prevent further aftershocks. Officials also asked hospitals to bring patients to safety.

Small earthquakes often occur in northern Italy. This is the strongest earthquake in Italy from a seismic killing nearly 300 people in the central city of L'Aquila in 2009.