Civil protection chief urges caution over earthquake toll

(ANSA) - Rome, August 24 - Civil protection chief Fabrizio Curcio on Wednesday urged caution in reporting the number of victims of the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the Apennine regions of central Italy in the early hours of the morning until the situation was more clear.
    "Concerning the numbers I ask for patience and respect: we need to be sure of the numbers when we talk about victims," Curcio told state broadcaster RAI amid media reports of 21 confirmed dead and many people missing under rubble. "As far as we know rescue teams have reached all the main areas," he continued. "This morning there were problems in some villages, but now they have arrived, some were even flown in by helicopter, but there are small hamlets and there may be some gaps that need monitoring: we are conducting a census of the various hamlets," Curcio said.