The bodies of four students located Tuesday under rubble brought to 211 the death toll of an earthquake that struck central Italy early Monday.
Rescuers made the late afternoon discovery after more than 30 hours of work trying to shift debris at a damaged five-storey building which served as a university dormitory in Abruzzo's regional capital, L'Aquila.
The four students "can be pronounced dead" even if their bodies remained trapped in the building, university rector, Ferdinando Di Orio, was quoted as saying by news reports
L'Aquila has been badly damaged together with other towns located not far from the earthquake's epicentre.
A few hours earlier, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who was visiting the city, had expressed hope that the four students along with over a dozen people still missing would be found alive.
Berlusconi, speaking at a news conference, also said Italy intended to turn down offers of help from abroad.
"We thank foreign nations for their solidarity, but we invite them not to send us their aid," Berlusconi said.
Berlusconi said the "proud people" of Italy, thanks to their country's prosperity would be able to deal the problem "by ourselves."
But the leader of the main centre-left opposition Democratic Party Dario Franceschini called on the premier to "urgently" rethink his stance.
Earlier, Germany's Red Cross and aid organisation Humedica issued calls for donations, while officials in Washington said the United States would make emergency relief funds available to Italy. Offers of help also came from Taiwan and Lebanon.
During the news conference, Berlusconi said rescue efforts would continue for the next 48 hours, a time in which "we will have certainty" on whether people buried under rubble are still alive.
Of the dead, 17 have yet to be identified identified Berlusconi said.
"I appeal to people not to attempt to return to their houses, as the situation is still dangerous because of the ongoing aftershocks," he said.
Police would patrol streets in L'Aquila and the other towns in a effort safeguard property Berlusconi said, referring to reports that several suspected looters were taken into custody.
Monday's earthquake which registered between 5.8 and 6.2 on the Richter scale has been followed by more than 280 aftershocks, including one just before noon which registered 4.3.
Rescue efforts have also been hampered by the region's hilly landscape which has made it difficult for firefighters and soldiers backed by more than 2,000 volunteers, to position cranes and other tools and equipment needed to clear debris.
Among those involved in the rescue efforts was rugby player Ollie Hodge, who told British media that a teammate from his L'Aquila club was killed in the earthquake and about his own experience in the rescue efforts.
The 29-year-old Hodge said that after being woken by the initial, powerful tremor, he joined teammates in carrying patients and beds from L'Aquila's main hospital which, on the brink of collapse, was evacuated on Monday.
Citing the hospital, the World Health Organization on Tuesday said developed nations should ensure that measures are in place to make hospitals safe in times of emergencies.
The evacuated hospital was relatively new, having been built about 15 years ago.
Speaking in L'Aquila, Berlusconi said that of the around 1,000 people injured in connection with the earthquake, 500 were have been hospitalized in facilities located in the Abruzzo region.
"Unfortunately the condition of 100 of these people is serious," he said.
According to news reports, many residents of L'Aquila and neighbouring towns spent Monday night inside their cars, because of a short supply of tents at camps set up by authorities.
Berlusconi said efforts were underway to ensure that enough tents to accommodate 14,000 people would be in place by Tuesday night. He also said 16 field-kitchens would be operating by then, reported dpa.
...
