Italy earthquake death toll climbs to 150

We begin in Italy where the government says more than 150 people have been
killed in a powerful earthquake in central Italy that struck on Monday morning.

Rescuers carry a stretcher in the village of Onna, central Italy, Monday, April 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Sandro Perozzi)

At least 1,500 others were injured and tens of thousands are homeless.
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics recorded it as a magnitude 5.8. quake.
But the U.S. Geological Survey says it was as high as a 6.3 magnitude quake.

The quake was Italy's deadliest in nearly three decades.

Earthquake Survivor, said, "It was terrible, it was terrible. Everything was
shaking, everything was falling down."

Rescuers are still searching for survivors in collapsed buildings.

Some victims are waiting for treatment in hospitals. But parts of the main
hospital in the epicenter of the city of L'Aquila have been evacuated.

That's because they were at risk of collapse, forcing the wounded to be treated in the open air.

Civil protection officials distributed bread and water to the homeless people.

Evacuees converged on an open field in the medieval town of L'Aquila, nestled in the Apennine mountains, where makeshift tent camps were being set up.

Rescue workers said some places were nearly deserted as survivors sought shelter.

Giocondo Dell'orso, Rescuer, said, "We are setting up 100 tents in a camp close to here. Then we are building a first aid camp with 50 tents and then we will set up more."

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has declared a state of emergency, freeing up federal funds to deal with the disaster. He has also cancelled a visit to Russia so he could deal with the quake crisis.