The grief and sorrow over the 7.2 earthquake that hit the eastern province of Van in Turkey have not subsided yet, but a powerful tremor shook the region again yesterday and collapsed many buildings and killed at least 7 with many trapped in rubbles.

Van / NationalTurk – Rescue workers have pulled out 24 survivors from the rubble of three buildings, the occupied ones of the more than 20 in Van region collapsed by an earthquake in eastern Turkey. At least seven were killed and dozens of others trapped. The devastating after earthquake, the most powerful among the nearly 1000 following the big 7.2 quake occurred two weeks ago in the same region, which took the lives of more than 1000.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay stated Wednesday’s quake toppled 25 buildings in the city of Van but only three of them were occupied since the others have been evacuated after suffering damages in last month’s powerful earthquake. The magnitude-5.7 quake was a grim replay of the previous magnitude-7.2 earthquake that hit Oct. 23, killing more than 1000 people, based on unofficial numbers. The official number of casualities are around 600.

Turkey Earthquake : Latest Earthquake hit Van and still claimed lives

Rescue workers intensified their search efforts for survivors by daylight on Thursday and pulled out a man out of the wreckage of a collapsed hotel, live television broadcast showed. He became the 24th people to be survived alive so far.

The workers had used the glare of high-powered lights to work throughout the night despite several aftershocks.

Atalay continued that the rescue work was concentrating at the site of two collapsed hotels and one apartment building. The disaster management authority said 23 survivors were pulled out along with the bodies of seven people.

Earthquake victims : Journalist covering the aftermath of the previous quake

One of the collapsed buildings was the Bayram Hotel, Van’s best-known hotel. It was at least 40 years old, and had been renovated last year. Some of the guests were journalists who were covering the aftermath of the previous earthquake, which left thousands homeless and led a number of countries to send tents, blankets and other supplies to assist Turkey in the aid effort.

Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay added among the toppled buildings were a school and a number of mudbrick homes.

The Turkish government dispatched hundreds of rescue teams from across Turkey aboard military and civilian planes, schools in the region are closed until Dec. 5. Authorities said schools and hospitals will be closely inspected for damage.

The Turkish Red Crescent immediately dispatched 15,000 tents as well as some 300 rescue workers, the state-run TRT television said. There was no damage in the town of Edremit, the 5,7 quake’s epicenter.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake measured 5.7 and that its epicenter was 16 kilometers (9 miles) south of Van. It struck at 9:23 p.m.

The region that is shaken without a break

About 1,400 aftershocks have rocked the region since the massive earthquake on Oct. 23, which killed more than 600 and left thousands homeless. Many residents had been living in tents, despite the cold, too afraid to return to their homes. At least 2,000 buildings were destroyed in the stronger temblor and authorities declared another 3,700 buildings unfit for living. Just the previous night an earthquake of 5.5 magnitude was recorded, its epicentre in the lake of Van. Kandilli Observatory announced that the latest quake is not of aftershock nature.

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