The death toll from Wednesday's  earthquake in Italy has climbed to 252, with over 360 injured.

Photo taken on Aug. 24, 2016 shows an excavator working after the earthquake in Amatrice, central Italy. The death toll from a powerful earthquake in central Italy has risen to 247, Italian authorities confirmed early on Thursday.

Rescuers say the numbers could rise further as more people remain unaccounted for. The magnitude six point two earthquake struck near the central city of Rieti, causing heavy damage to a number of towns.

Amatrice and Accumoli were among the hardest hit. The number of people in these small towns rises by as much as ten times in the summer, and many of those killed or missing were visitors. The Italian cabinet is set to meet today to discuss measures to help the quake-hit areas.