Four quakes rock central Italy in massive snowstorm

Three people were missing Wednesday after a series of strong earthquakes slammed a mountainous, snow-walloped area of central Italy still recovering from recent, deadly quakes, authorities said.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries, Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni said. Later, however, the Italian news agency ANSA said an 83-year-old man was pulled from the ruins of a building in the town of  Castel Castagna. Another man was missing, the news agency said.

The quakes came as the region was digging out from almost three feet of snow that was still falling in some areas, and there were fears that buildings weakened by the quake might collapse under the weight of snow and ice.

The temblors were centered three miles west of Amatrice, the picturesque town of less than 3,000 people located less than than 100 miles northeast of Rome. Amatrice took the brunt of the damage and deaths in August when earthquakes and aftershocks rocked the region, killing more than 200 people. The damage was so severe that a "red zone" was established where severely damaged buildings remain abandoned.

Some structural damage was also reported, including the collapse of a bell tower at Sant'Agostino church in Amatrice. Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said several people were trapped in their homes.

"The emergency is neither the earthquake nor the damage in the red zone, it is the snow," Pirozzi said. "We have isolated areas with two meters (six feet) of snow on the ground."

Several schools in the region shut down when the quakes began. Lina Mercantini, who lives in the village of Ceselli about 50 miles from the epicenter, told Sky News that everyone was outside despite the wintry weather. They were afraid their homes would collapse.

"This is totally unnerving, it's never ending," she said. "We are all shaking."

Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni was in Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"I want to start with a shared thought with Angela for the people in the areas hit by the serious earthquakes," Gentiloni said. "The continuation of such strong tremors are a factor of alarm for the people ... We are monitoring the situation minute by minute."

Wednesday's quakes began rolling through the region at about 10:25 a.m. local time, the first registering as a magnitude 5.3, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Two additional major temblors within the next hour registered at magnitude 5.7 and 5.6, and about two hours later a magnitude 5.1 shook the area. Several strong aftershocks also were recorded.

"The situation is quite complicated," Civil Protection Chief Fabrizio Curcio told Sky News. "We are receiving reports from all over the nation."

In Rome, some metro stations were evacuated and services suspended as a precaution.

"There are no reasons of alarm in the city," Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi said. She said city schools were not closed but inspections were underway to ensure no public buildings were damaged.

The civil protection department in the Marche region north of Amatrice issued an avalanche warning.

Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament, said he was "in permanent contact with the Italian authorities" investigating the damage.