SAN FELICE SUL PANARO (Italy): A strong earthquake rocked northeastern Italy on Tuesday, killing at least 15 people, just days after another quake in the same region wrought death and destruction.

Italy’s Civil Protection Authority confirmed 15 people had perished and rescue forces were searching for four or five other people still missing after a series of strong quakes which caused widespread panic among residents.

“I have to leave the building, we're being hit by a long, powerful tremor.

I have to get out,” a civil protection agency spokesman in Mantua said.

Authorities said the region was struck between 1056 GMT and 1101 GMT by three tremors of between 5.1 and over 5.3 magnitude, following a 5.8 magnitude quake just after 0700 GMT when people were heading into work. “Everything's collapsed, it's chaos, buildings across the town are down,” a fireman in the tiny town of Cavezzo told Corriere della Sera newspaper. The first quake struck about 60kms east of Parma, according to the Geographical Institute of Modena, and sent panicked residents rushing into the streets in quake-struck cities including Pisa and Venice.—AFP