Italy earthquake toll rises to 297 after two die of injuries

The town of Amatrice saw the greatest loss of life

The number of dead from last month’s earthquake in central Italy has risen to 297 after two more people died, the Italian civil defence service reports.

One had been injured in Amatrice, the town which saw the heaviest loss of life, and the other in Arquata del Tronto, which was also badly damaged.

The magnitude-6.2 quake struck at 03:36 (01:36 GMT) on 24 August, 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome.

Nearly 4,000 people made homeless are still in temporary accommodation.

The authorities hope to find proper shelter for those living in camps before the onset of bad weather, an official told BBC News on Friday.

Towns and villages were damaged in the regions of Lazio, Le Marche, Umbria and Abruzzo, with the epicentre about 4km north-east of Norcia.

At least 230 of the victims were killed in Amatrice and 50 in the Arquata del Tronto area, while others died in Accumoli.

BBC