ROME, October 30 (Reuters) - Italy was hit by its strongest earthquake in decades on Sunday, when a 6.6 magnitude tremor brought down buildings in several towns in the central Apennines. Dozens of people were injured but more than four hours after the quake struck no deaths were reported in the towns affected. Many had been largely evacuated after a series of tremors recently in the same area. [nL4N1D004F] Sunday's quake was the biggest since one measuring 6.9 in 1980, which killed an estimated 2,735 people in the southern region of Campania. Below is a list of major earthquakes in Italy in the past century. All magnitudes are as measured by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) - Jan 13, 1915 - Around 32,600 people are killed when an earthquake measuring 7.0 struck Avezzano in central Italy. - July 27, 1930 - A quake measuring 6.5 strikes the region of Campania in southern Italy, killing around 1,400 people. - May 6, 1976 - An earthquake measuring 6.5 rocks Friuli in Italy's northeastern corner, killing 976 people and leaving 70,000 others homeless. - Nov. 23, 1980 - Some 2,735 people are killed and more than 7,500 injured in an earthquake measuring 6.9. The epicentre was at Eboli but damage was reported over a huge area towards Naples. - Dec. 13, 1990 - An earthquake measuring 5.6 centred in the sea off Sicily kills 13 people and injures 200. - Sept. 26, 1997 - Two earthquakes measuring 6.4 kill 11 people and cause serious damage to the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, damaging priceless Medieval frescoes. - Oct. 31, 2002 - An earthquake measuring 5.9 hits Campobasso, south-central Italy, killing 30 people, most of them children, in San Giuliano di Puglia. - April 6, 2009 - An earthquake measuring 6.3 strikes the Abruzzo region east of Rome. It kills more than 300 people and devastates the 13th century city of L'Aquila. - May 29, 2012 - Seventeen people are killed and 350 injured in a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the area around Modena in northern Italy 10 days after a tremor killed 10 in the same area. - Aug 24, 2016 - 297 people are killed when a 6.2 magnitude quake hits the central hilltown of Amatrice and nearby towns and villages.