Earthquake kills seven and injures more than 50

At least seven people have died and more than 50 were injured after an earthquake struck Italy in the early hours of Sunday.

The 6.0 magnitude tremor is one of the strongest to hit Northern Italy, with its epicentre about 22 miles north of Bologna.

A spokeswoman for the Italian State Tourist Board UK and Ireland said all airports and transport links were functioning normally and she had had no reports of tourists involved.

She said: "The area affected is very rural and not a tourist area. It is very unfortunate for the people living there but should not have an impact on tourism.

"It is likely to have been felt by tourists in Bologna or along the coast but there was no damage to these areas."

Italian officials are finding safe accommodation for an estimate 3,000 displaced people while many historic buildings have also been destroyed or badly damaged.

The 13th century Torre dei Modenesi bell tower which has stood for 700 years was ripped apart, collapsing after a strong aftershock.

In the town of Finale Emilia, the 11th century Castello delle Rocche was damaged and the 14th century Palazzo dei Veneziani partially collapsed.

Buildings of architectural importance severely damaged include a 15th-century castle in the Roman citadel of San Felice sul Panaro and Sant" Agostino"s Renaissance town hall, reports the Daily Mail.

The earthquake was felt across a large swathe of northern Italy, as far away as the cities of Milan and Venice.

The earthquake was the worst to hit Italy since the L'Aquila tremor in the Abruzzo region killed nearly 300 people in 2009.