British woman dies in landslide

The landslide was triggered by earthquakes

A British woman is among at least three people who have been killed in landslides triggered by an earthquake in northern Italy.

The Indian-born London woman, who has not been named, was found under rocks on a hillside in Gargazzone, near the epicenter of the quake.

Rescuers have temporarily called off a search for her 33-year-old Italian boyfriend because of bad weather and the risk of further landslides.

It is feared Stefan Marchetti may also have been crushed by the rocks while the couple were out walking.

The quake struck about six miles north of the town of Merano, in the Alto Adige (South Tyrol) region at the foot of the Alps, at about 1500GMT on Tuesday.

The body of a German tourist, Bernd Kunz, 40, has also been found.

A local woman died of a heart attack shortly after the earthquake struck, and another local woman is in a serious condition after falling from her horse.

It is also thought that a man rescued in a critical condition may have died on his way to the hospital.

Cracked buildings

The tremor, which was also felt in bordering areas of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, measured 5.2 on the Richter scale.

Damage to the area was relatively mild considering the strength of the quake, officials said.

Enzo Boschi, director of Italy's National Institute of Geophysics, told state television that the solid construction in the area prevented widespread damage and injuries.

Merano, an important tourist centre and spa town of about 35,000 people, suffered minor damage in the quake.

Several buildings were cracked and four large marble balls, part of the cornice of a tower, fell into the main street.

Italy is susceptible to earthquakes, with many minor tremors occurring on a regular basis.

Twelve people were killed and 38,000 left homeless in 1997 when earthquakes of about 5.5 on the Richter scale rocked the Umbrian region of central Italy.