The official death toll from Monday's devastating earthquake in Italy's central Abruzzo region has risen to 250, with 11 people still unaccounted for, the minister for relations with parliament, Elio Vito, told the Senate on Wednesday morning.
Of the 250 dead, 17 have yet to be identified, he added.
Vito said the government will soon declare a national day of mourning for the victims.
Rescue operations were made more complicated Tuesday evening after a powerful aftershock rocked the region and was felt as far away as Rome.
However, rescue workers Tuesday evening were able to save a 20-year-old woman who had spent 42 hours under the rubble in the region's capital, L'Aquila.
A collective funeral will be celebrated in L'Aquila on Friday for the victims of the quake on an initiative from the archbishop's office to coincide with Good Friday.
The service will be celebrated at a customs police training school, where a hangar is being used as morgue because of damage to the city's main hospital.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano will visit L'Aquila on Thursday, while Premier Silvio Berlusconi will return to the region Wednesday for the third day in a row.
The premier's third visit will focus on inspecting damage to historic buildings and sites in order to begin programming their restoration.
