Earthquake Strikes Central Italy

At least 27 people have been killed in a powerful earthquake that struck central Italy, Italian officials say.
Five children are said to be among the dead and at least 30 people remain unaccounted for as a massive search for the trapped is under way.
The 6.3-magnitude quake struck at 0330 (0130 GMT) close to L'Aquila city, 95km (60 miles) north-east of Rome.
A civil protection official said 3,000 to 10,000 buildings in the medieval city may have been damaged.                                                                            

"This means that the we'll have several thousand people to assist over the next few weeks and months," Agostino Miozzo told Sky Italia.
"Our goal is to give shelter to all by tonight."
Source: BBC News

Here is a record of the recent shakes in Italy:

05:15:28.0 42.48 N 13.36 E 3.1 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 04:47:54.9 42.33 N 13.29 E 3.9 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 04:16:40.0 42.39 N 13.32 E 3.2 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 04:08:45.0 42.38 N 13.36 E 3.0 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 03:56:48.1 42.38 N 13.34 E 4.5 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 03:43:16.0 42.33 N 13.37 E 3.1 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 03:33:40.5 44.28 N 11.97 E 3.4 NORTHERN ITALY 2009-04-06 03:30:59.0 42.34 N 13.39 E 2.8 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 03:23:10.0 42.33 N 13.33 E 2.8 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 03:16:04.0 42.31 N 13.38 E 2.8 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 02:55:38.9 42.58 N 13.61 E 3.3 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 02:44:32.0 42.30 N 13.35 E 3.2 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 02:37:05.2 42.40 N 13.31 E 5.1 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 02:31:33.0 42.41 N 13.39 E 3.4 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 02:27:48.2 42.37 N 13.23 E 4.3 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 02:25:45.0 42.43 N 13.36 E 3.3 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-06 01:32:41.4 42.38 N 13.32 E 6.3 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-05 22:39:42.8 42.33 N 13.34 E 3.5 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-05 21:31:22.9 44.30 N 12.01 E 2.5 NORTHERN ITALY 2009-04-05 20:48:56.4 42.36 N 13.37 E 4.0 CENTRAL ITALY 2009-04-05 20:20:52.4 44.33 N 11.98 E 4.8 NORTHERN ITALY
Source: European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre

There is a place on the website for witness reports, and here are a couple:

Witness location : Chieti (69 km from epicenter)
"My family was allerted and in a few seconds we mouved in a safe place of the house. I aspected it and commented with people in the previous days as there were several foreshocks."

Witness location : 116km NE Acquaviva Picena (187 km from epicenter)
"the apartment shook for about 40 seconds and gradually got stronger and stronger, outside I could hear things crackling and falling from the nearby buildings. I expected aftershocks and they sure enough they came about 40 minutes later. "

And here is a brief report from Europe: