New earthquakes in central Italy (6)

(ANSA) - Rome, January 18 - Three strong earthquakes were felt in central Italy on Wednesday. The first quake took place at around 10:25 and was felt in Lazio, including Rome, Abruzzo and Marche. Another strong earthquake took place at 11:14 and another still at 11:26. The first and third earthquakes were magnitude 5.3 and the second's was 5.4, according to initial estimates by the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV). The epicentres of those quakes were in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo.
    Some Rome metro stations were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Services on the A, B and C lines were suspended while checks were run and shuttle buses laid on.
    Central Italy suffered a series of devastating earthquakes last year, including one in August that claimed around 300 lives.
    Misery in the areas affected by the quakes has been compounded by the recent wave of snow and freezing weather. Civil Protection Chief Fabrizio Curcio said that assessing the situation after a new series of earthquakes in central Italy was difficult due to snow in many areas. "The situation is quite complicated," Curcio told Sky television. "We are receiving reports from all over the nation. Obviously the quake was felt clearly all over the centre, as far as the capital. "At the end of the checks we'll be able to say whether we've had particularly difficult situations or not. It has been snowing without stop in that area for hours and it will continue to do so for the next few hours". The civil protection department in Marche on Wednesday announced an alarm for possible avalanches due to the heavy snowfall and the quakes.