China orders 'all-out' rescue after Tibet quake kills 16

China ordered an “all-out” rescue effort in Tibet on Friday after an earthquake killed at least 16 people, injured dozens and flattened hundreds of homes, state media reported. Footage showed rescue workers with torches clambering in the dark through some of the more than 300 houses that Xinhua said collapsed in the 7. 0-magnitude quake on Thursday evening. Diners ran out of restaurants and items fell off wobbling supermarket shelves as the tremor struck, according to clips on state broadcaster CCTV , which said 65 people were injured. One resident told local media that her family had just gone to bed when her home shook, knocking over objects, and that they “rushed outside without even taking the time to get dressed. ” “My legs were shaking the entire time I was heading downstairs and by the time I reached the bottom, I was so terrified that I burst into tears,” the woman said.

Local residents “are afraid to return to their homes,” she said. “They set up tents along the roadside or spent the night in their cars. ” A man told the Beijing News that the “very strong” quake left his home “creaking and rattling”. “I was asleep when it hit. Everyone has run outside now and is too afraid to go back in. I’m currently driving to an open area to sleep in my car,” he said. Broadcaster CCTV also showed emergency personnel with helmets carrying a person and shining flashlights on damaged buildings, some with collapsed roofs. Tibet is largely inaccessible to foreign journalists and Chinese authorities are the only source of official information. ‘Significant casualties’ President Xi Jinping said the tremor caused “significant casualties” and took place at a “high-altitude location” in cold weather. “(We) must go all-out to carry out search and rescue operations and do our utmost to…