(VOVworld) – Italy observed a national day of mourning on Saturday in remembrance of 281 people killed during Wednesday’s earthquake. A state funeral was held Saturday in the city of Ascoli Piceno, which was near the epicenters. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi attended the funeral.

Rescue efforts are underway at earthquake-hit areas. (Photo: EPA)

On Friday, the Italian government declared a state of emergency in the earthquake-affected regions and pledged 50 million euros to rebuild destroyed areas. The Ministry of Economy and Finance promised to bring forward an income-tax cut until those areas are recovered.

It was reported that 281 victims of the earthquake included 5 foreigners, of whom 3 were from the UK, 1 from Canada, and 1 from Spain. 15 people are still missing. More than 300 people were injured and nearly 250 people were saved from the debris, many of them children.