5.6 quake in east Turkey topples hotel building

A preliminary 5.7-magnitude earthquake caused a six-story hotel and other buildings to collapse in eastern Turkey on Wednesday, trapping people inside, according to media reports, two weeks after a strong temblor in the region killed around 600 people.

State-run TRT television said the quake brought down the hotel as well as some buildings that had been damaged in the earlier quake in the province of Van. TV footage showed residents and rescuers trying to lift debris to evacuate people believed to be trapped under the hotel in the provincial capital of Van.

CNN Turk television said the hotel was being used by journalists and aid workers who were in the city. It was not known how many people were trapped inside.

The quake occurred at 1923 GMT, with the epicentre in the Edremit district, some 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the Van province that bore the brunt of the deadly 7.2 magnitude earthquake on October 23, according to the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory.

It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured.

While EVERY death and injury in the earthquake is an absolute tragedy, I was really upset to read about the second Japanese person just rescued lunchtime today, who died after half an hour of heart failure. The Turkish doctors did everything they could to save him.

Atsushi Miyzaki was a doctor, and he came to help those suffering in the earthquake. He gave his life to help Turks. I pray that the knowledge he self-sacrificially helped others wşll comfort his grieving relatives.

Looking forward to good news about the reporters who are still missing from the hotel ...