Quake: Death toll up to 247 (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, August 25 - The provisional death toll from Wednesday's earthquake in central Italy has risen to 247, the civil protection agency said Thursday. Some 264 others were injured and have been taken to hospital. The devastating quake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, struck a mountainous area on the borders of Lazio, Umbria and Marche just after 03:30 Wednesday, flattening towns and villages.
    Some 190 of the dead were said to be in Rieti province in Lazio and 57 in the province of Ascoli Piceno in Marche.
    Civil Protection chief Fabrizio Curcio said the number of victims is set to rise and that the search for those missing is continuing even though it is impossible to say how many people were in the affected areas because of the presence of many tourists and people returning to their old homes for the summer break. The first episodes of looting were reported in some places.