Aftershocks shake Arbuzzo region; toll 278

L'AQUILA, Italy, April 9 (UPI) -- Aftershocks from the devastating earthquake earlier this week rocked Italy's Abruzzo region Thursday where officials say at least 278 people died.

Two aftershocks -- measuring 4.3 and 5.1 on the Richter scale -- rumbled in the region before dawn Thursday, Italian news agency ASNA reported.

Italy's National Geophysics and Vulcanology Institute said the front of the activity shifted north of the region's capital, L'Aquila, the epicenter of Monday's quake that left 1,500 injured, tens of thousands homeless and destroyed homes, businesses and historic buildings in an area about 70 miles northeast of Rome.

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano was to travel to Abruzzo to inspect the damage, pay his respects to the dead and meet with survivors.