An Italian mother who survived the devastating earthquake that occurred in L' Aquila, Abruzzo region in 2009 has lost her daughter during the 6.2-magnitude quake that hit the peninsula in the early hours of Wednesday (24 August 2016).

Martina Turco once lived in L'Aquila. After escaping a 6.3-magnitude quake that killed more than 300 people, she decided to relocate to Ascoli in Le Marche region.

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The new quake killed her 18-month-old daughter Marisol Piermarini. It is believed that at least 37 people so far have lost their lives, and the death toll is expected to increase.

Marisol was sleeping in the family's summer house in Arquata del Tronto, when the quake hit several towns across the regions of Umbria, Lazio and Le Marche. Martina has been admitted to the Torrette di Ancona hospital after rescue-workers managed to pull her out from the rubble.

Her partner Massimiliano is receiving medical assistance at the Mazzoni di Ascoli hospital, Italian newspaper Il Corriere has reported.

"Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do to save the child," Marisol's grandfather, Massimo Piermarini, was quoted as saying. He was one of the first people who reached the summer house following the quake.

"At the beginning, they did not want to let me in as it was unstable," he explained. "But I said that I did not care, I had to go and look for them".

Photos of historic Italian towns flattened by powerful earthquake

The 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous region at around 3:30am local time, setting off a sequence of quakes, including a 5.5-magnitude quake n hour later, according to USGS.

The towns of Accumoli, Amatrice, Posta and Arquata del Tronto were worst-affected. There have been reports of tremors as many as 105 miles from the epicentre, as far as in Rome.

Earthquake