Turkish rescuers work in the rain in search for earthquake survivors in Van province of Turkey on Oct. 25, 2011. The death toll from the powerful earthquake in southeast Turkey has risen to 459. (Xinhua/Ma Yan)
ANKARA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Sunday`s powerful earthquake in southeast Turkey has risen to 459 and the number of the injured to 1,352, the Turkish Prime Ministry`s Disaster and Emergency Administration (AFAD) said Tuesday.

About 3,346 search and rescue personnel were dispatched to the quake-hit province of Van in southeastern Turkey, said AFAD.

A two-week-old baby was rescued from the rubbles in the Ercis district of Van province Tuesday, almost two days after the 7.2- magnitude earthquake, one of Turkey`s most powerful quakes in a decade, local newspaper Today`s Zaman reported on its website.

Hundreds of others are believed to be trapped under rubbles and rescue work is ongoing, Turkish NTV reported.

The earthquake, which occurred Sunday afternoon, led to the collapse of about 80 multi-storey buildings in Ercis, a town of 75, 000 people close to the Iranian border. The region is among Turkey `s most earthquake-prone zones.

Turkey refused assistance from other countries, saying that foreign aid is not currently needed.

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More survivors found as quake rescue continues in Turkey

VAN, Turkey, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Day and night, survivors and rescuers battled to pull people out of the debris in the quake-struck eastern province of Turkey, especially the worst-hit town of Ercis.

"Please keep silent, we need to listen to the signaling sound of possible survivors," rescuers` words silenced a site where hundreds of people clustered. Electric generators were also turned off temporarily. Full story

Turkish PM thanks countries for quake assistance

ISTANBUL, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday thanked those countries that sent rescue teams and assistance to the quake-stricken eastern Turkish province of Van, during a visit to the western province of Izmir.

"I thank each and every country that sent assistance to the earthquake region swiftly, particularly our neighboring countries and others as well," Erdogan said during a visit to Izmir along with Azerbaijan`s President Ilham Aliyev, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.