The death toll from Monday's 6.3 magnitude earthquake that ripped through Italy's mountainous Abruzzo region rose to 179 Tuesday, CNN reported, citing the mayor of the devastated city of L'Aquila.

Nearly 24 hours after the quake hit, authorities were still unsure how many people remained trapped in the wreckage.

"We think maybe 70 to 100," said Francesco Rocca, a spokesman for the Italian Red Cross. "We still don't know the exact number. This is why we are still working very, very hard at the moment."

Italy's Civil Protection agency reported at least 1 500 injured and 50 000 without shelter.

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