Hotel Roma that collapsed in the small town of Amatrice probably had about 70 guests and only seven bodies had been recovered so far, said the mayor of the one of the worst-hit towns.
The death toll from a devastating earthquake in central Italy rose to 252 people early on Thursday after rescue teams worked through the night to try to find survivors under the rubble of flattened towns.
The strong 6.2 magnitude quake struck early on Wednesday night.
Officials said the death toll seemed destined to rise further. At least 368 injured people had been taken to hospital by late on Wednesday, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said.
According to Reuters, one hotel that collapsed in the small town of Amatrice probably had about 70 guests and only seven bodies had been recovered so far, said the mayor of the one of the worst-hit towns.
Renzi said the Cabinet would meet on Thursday to decide measures to help the affected communities. "Today is a day for tears, tomorrow we can talk of reconstruction," he told reporters late on Wednesday.
The civil protection agency said it was trying to determine how many people were staying in the Hotel Roma, Amatrice's best-known accommodation that mayor Sergio Pirozzi said had collapsed.
Most of the damage was in the Lazio and Marche regions, with Lazio bearing the brunt of the damage and the biggest toll. Neighboring Umbria was also affected. All three regions are dotted with centuries-old buildings susceptible to earthquakes.
Italy's earthquake institute, INGV, said the epicenter was near Accumoli and Amatrice, which lie between the larger towns of Ascoli Piceno to the northeast and Rieti to the southwest.
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