Good to be with you this morning. It is wednesday, august 24th. Im Frances Rivera alongside Louis Burgdorf. A strong 6. 2 magnitude earthquake struck central italy overnight. About five miles from the city of norcia in a relatively shallow depth of only 10 kilometers thats a little over 6 miles. Several aftershocks have been reported. And there are reports of extensive damage. With one mayor saying his town, quote, isnt there anymore. Many roadways are blocked, severely hampering rescue efforts. Red cross officials tell local outlets that a bridge in the town of amatrice has collapsed. And at least 13 people are dead and officials expect that number to rise. One says the quake is similar in scale to the 2009 quake just 30 miles away which killed almost 300 people. Nbcs lucy kafanov joins us now on the phone. She is live on the scene. Number one priority are those people who may be trapped in the rubble. Good morning, frances. Rescue workers and residents have been racing against the cl