Disaster management authority says 22 people including a Japanese citizen died

ANKARA (A.A) - November 11, 2011 - Turkish disaster management authority said on Friday that 22 people including a Japanese citizen lost their lives in a powerful earthquake that hit the eastern province of Van on Wednesday. Turkish Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said 30 people were pulled alive from the rubble after the magnitude-5.6 earthquake. AFAD said 815 search and rescue personnel, 71 health personnel, 14 sniffer dogs, 62 work machines, 6,457 tents, 2,051 general purpose tents, 98 breakfast sets, 45,407 blankets, and 600 beds had been dispatched to the quake zone. The directorate said 22 ambulances, including three planes and eight helicopter ambulances, were also sent to the quake-hit province.  AFAD said 300 citizens who were affected by the earthquake were brought to Istanbul and Ankara, and advised quake survivors not to enter the damaged buildings. On October 23, Van had been hit by an earthquake measuring 7.2 on Richter scale. 601 people were killed and 4,152 others were wounded in the quake. 188 people were pulled alive out of the debris.