At least 38 people have been reported dead as a magnitude 6 earthquake struck central Italy early Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the civil protection department told journalists that 27 people died in the towns of Accumoli and Amatrice near Rieti, and another 10 perished in the nearby Arquata area. The death toll was increased to 38 later in the press conference; the number is sadly expected to rise again, reports Reuters.

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The quake hit Italy around 3:36 a.m., causing homes to collapse on residents as they slept. It was felt across all of central Italy, including in Rome.

The civil protection department says several hundred people have been injured, and thousands are in need of temporary housing, according to Fox News.

“As daylight dawned, residents, civil protection workers, and even priests began digging out with shovels, bulldozers and their bare hands, trying to reach survivors. There was relief as a woman was pulled out alive from one building, followed by a dog,” Fox News reported.

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Now, the civil protection department is calling for help from concerned civilians. “We need chain saws, shears to cut iron bars, and jacks to remove beams: everything, we need everything,” civil protection worker Andrea Gentili told The Associated Press.

A hospital in Rieti is also accepting blood donations on behalf of Italy’s national blood drive association.