Italy quake continues to terrorise

Thousands of people huddled out of doors in northeastern Italy after the region's second killer earthquake in less than two weeks and officials warned of more aftershocks.

Tuesday's quake killed at least 16 people and injured 200 just nine days after another temblor killed six people and left thousands homeless. Residents in cities including Pisa and Venice rushed into the streets in panic when the quake struck 60 kilometres east of Parma at 0700 GMT on Tuesday.

Just a few hours later, already shaken residents endured a terrifying five-minute ordeal when the region was struck by three tremors of between 5.1 and over 5.3 magnitude between 1056 GMT and 1101 GMT. By nightfall authorities said one person remained missing. The search through the rubble was launched in the small town of Medolla after muffled cries for help were heard from beneath the debris of damaged buildings, SKY TG24 television said.

Workers at a destroyed precision mechanics factory near Modena where three of their colleagues died told how they ran for their lives as the ground shook beneath them.