Earthquake in Italy Leaves 50 Dead, Thousands Homeless

An earthquake in Italy occured around 3:30 AM that registered a 6.3 on the Richter Scale has killed 130 people, injured hundreds and left more than 50,000 people homeless according to global news reports.

L'Aquila, central Italy, was ripped apart by the quake early Monday morning, and while the area is prone to many earthquakes (having had approximately nine smaller ones since April began) this quake clearly caught the residents by surprise, as most were sleeping when the quake hit.

"Some towns in the area have been virtually destroyed in their entirety," said Gianfranco Fini, speaker of the lower house of parliament, as MPs observed a moment of silence.

The full extent of the damage (some pics, courtesy of the Seattle Times) can be seen above and below, although it would appear that the full extent of the quake -- which was felt all the way in Rome -- has continued to rise throughout the day.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were lost and the people currently suffering.