VIDEO Italians mourn at least 250 victims: Many children among the dead, rescuers search for survivors

Italy's Civil Protection last night released the latest report on the catastrophic earthquake that struck central Italy - 250 dead and 365 injured admitted to hospital. Hundreds of survivors on Thursday were still waiting to return home to the hardest-hit villages, with most seeking a more permanent solution after the first night spent under the open sky, in a Civil Protection tent, or in their cars, reports the Patria news agency.

Dozens of smaller aftershocks were felt during the night and morning on Thursday, while a stronger earthquake felt around 2:30 PM sparked fear among survivors and concern for rescuers who had to suspend their search in Amatrice when a section of a wall collapsed near them.

Thousands of volunteers and professionals were still searching through the rubble yesterday for the slightest signs of life. The last survivor rescued after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake was found 72 hours after the disaster. More than 24 hours after the tragedy, questions are being raised about the reasons for such a high death toll in an area that is relatively sparsely populated and consists solely of villages.