L'aquila(Italy): Rescuers pulled more corpses on Thursday from the rubble of Italy's worst earthquake in three decades, braving strong aftershocks in the dimming hope of finding survivors.

The death toll from Monday's quake in the central region of Abruzzo climbed to 279 after rescuers recovered the latest bodies, including two students buried beneath a dormitory hall.

"I am here out of duty, emotion and also gratitude for everything that you are doing," President Giorgio Napolitano told rescue workers after visiting a makeshift mortuary.

"With the presence of the president, we felt the embrace of all of Italy," said Cesare Cardozo, priest of the village of Onna, where 39 of some 250 inhabitants were killed.

Tremors shook the medieval mountain city of L'Aquila and nearby villages throughout the morning, further damaging buildings and prompting authorities to cordon off the city center, which bore the brunt of the 6.3 magnitude quake.

The aftershocks terrified many survivors, 17,000 of whom spent another cold night in tent villages after being made homeless. Rescuers said the chances of finding anyone alive under the devastated city were decreasing every hour.

"Let's hope these aftershocks stop because it's very difficult for our rescue workers and for survivors as well," said Angelo Cutaia, a civil protection official at a camp holding 2,000 people in the outskirts of L'Aquila. "People here won't feel safe if the earth keeps trembling every night."

Many of the victims of the quake were students at L'Aquila university. At least 16 children, including a five-month-old baby, were killed.

The governor of the Abruzzo region, Gianni Chiodi, said around 10 people were still missing beneath the rubble.

Rescue workers haven't found any survivors for more than 30 hours. The last person rescued, a 20-year-old woman, was dug out from the ruins of a four-storey building late on Tuesday.

In rare cases, people have survived more than a week buried under rubble following earthquakes. The government has said searches will continue at least until Easter.

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