National day of mourning in Italy as aftershocks continue to rattle residents
Residents of towns in central Italy devastated by an earthquake were rattled by a series of aftershocks overnight, as the nation began a day of mourning.
The mourning includes a state funeral for some of the victims in Ascoli Piceno to be attended by premier Matteo Renzi and president Sergio Mattarella.
Ahead of the funeral, flower-covered caskets were lined up in a gym where mourners have been bidding farewell to loved ones, kneeling, crying and placing their hands on the coffins.
The 6.2-magnitude quake that struck before dawn on Wednesday took the lives of at least 281 people, while 387 more injured.
The strongest of Saturday's early morning aftershocks had a magnitude of 4.2, according to the Geological Service.
