On 24 August 2016, a powerful earthquake struck Amatrice, devastating the town and killing at least 295 people. Sergio Pirozzi, at the time the mayor of Amatrice (in March 2018 he was elected in the Regional Council of Lazio), said that the town "is no more". Later, Pirozzi said that "three-quarters of the town was destroyed". Nearby Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto were also devastated.