Thursday, 31 October, 2002, 12:25 GMT

Fifty children are reported to be trapped in the rubble of a school in the southern Italian village of San Giuliano di Puglia, after an earthquake hit the nearby town of Campobasso.

The quake measured 5.4 on the Richter scale.

Reports from the village say there is no definite word on casualties, but there are indications the school building collapsed.

Italian radio also reports that a number of buildings in Campobasso were damaged, causing people to rush out on to the streets.

Cracks gaped in walls, and chunks of plaster fell from ceilings, according to Italian news reports.

The tremor hit at 11:40 (1040 GMT), the national geophysics institute said.

A previous, lighter tremor with the same epicentre was recorded last night.

Etna eruption

The tremors coincide with an eruption of Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, on the island of Sicily.

The eruption began on Sunday, and has been accompanied by a series of tremors, including one on Tuesday measured at 4.3 on the Richter scale.

About 1,000 people are currently homeless, living in tents and requisitioned hotels.

In 1980 an earthquake in the area of Naples killed 2,570 people.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2002