Rescue crews have been working through the night to dig out survivors from an earthquake that's left three central Italian towns in ruins.

The 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck at 3.30am on Wednesday morning, as most people slept.

The country's Civil Protection Agency says at least 247 people have been killed and more than 350 injured.

Dozens of people are believed to be trapped in Amatrice, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto, while thousands of others have been left homeless. 

Emergency teams have been using bulldozers and their bare hands to find many still thought to be buried under the rubble.

In what's being described as a miracle, a 10-year-old girl was rescued after being trapped upside down for 17 hours.

This is the moment she was pulled out:

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is chairing an emergency cabinet meeting today. In a statement last night he said: "No family, no city, no hamlet will be left behind".

Kim Buckley has this report: