Pope Francis offers prayer for victims of Italy earthquake

Pope Francis has led pilgrims at his Wednesday general audience in praying the rosary for the victims of Italy’s devastating earthquake.

The Pope, holding a rosary in his right hand, skipped his catechism lesson during the Wednesday morning audience and instead told the crowd that he was stunned by the devastation of the magnitude six earthquake that struck central Italy early on Wednesday.

He added that he wanted to express his pain and solidarity with the victims. The crowd in St Peter’s Square recited the prayer along with him.

The earthquake struck at 3.36am (1.36am GMT) and was felt across a broad swathe of central Italy, leaving at least 13 people dead.

The hardest-hit towns were Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, some 80 miles north-east of Rome.