An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the eastern city of Van in Turkey, killing around 138 people and injuring 350 on Sunday afternoon. The epicenter of the quake is reportedly located in the village of Tabanli in the Van province bordering Iran.

The death toll, however, is expected to increase further as people continue the search for survivors in the earthquake devastated area.

As emergency workers battled to rescue the trapped people inside collapsed buildings, they also experienced around 100 aftershocks, some of which measured up to 6.0 magnitude.

Hardest hit was Ercis, an eastern city of 75,000 close to the Iranian border and in one of Turkey's most earthquake-prone zones. The bustling city of Van, about 55 miles south of Ecris, also sustained substantial damage. Highways in the area caved in.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visited the disaster area to assess the damage.

Xinhuanet.com reported that the quake was also felt in the neighbouring Turkish provinces of Bitlis, Mus, Batman, Diyarbakir and Hakkari, as well as Iran's provinces of West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan.

The following slideshow shows some of the destruction:

Turkey Earthquake 2011
An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the eastern city of Van in Turkey killing hundreds and injuring 350 on Sunday afternoon. The epicenterof the quake is reportedly located in the village of Tabanli in Van province bordering Iran. Reuters
Turkey Earthquake 2011 138 Dead and About 350 Injured in 7.2 Magnitude Quake
An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the eastern city of Van in Turkey killing around 138 people and injuring 350 on Sunday afternoon. The epicenterof the quake is reportedly located in the village of Tabanli in Van province bordering Iran. Reuters
Turkey Earthquake 2011 138 Dead and About 350 Injured in 7.2 Magnitude Quake
An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the eastern city of Van in Turkey killing around 138 people and injuring 350 on Sunday afternoon. The epicenterof the quake is reportedly located in the village of Tabanli in Van province bordering Iran. Reuters
Turkey Earthquake 2011 138 Dead and About 350 Injured in 7.2 Magnitude Quake
An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the eastern city of Van in Turkey killing around 138 people and injuring 350 on Sunday afternoon. The epicenterof the quake is reportedly located in the village of Tabanli in Van province bordering Iran. Reuters
Turkey Earthquake 2011 More than 200 Dead and About 350 Injured in 7.2 Magnitude Quake
An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the eastern city of Van in Turkey killing hundreds people and injuring 350 on Sunday afternoon. The epicenterof the quake is reportedly located in the village of Tabanli in Van province bordering Iran. Reuters
Turkey Earthquake 2011 138 Dead and About 350 Injured in 7.2 Magnitude Quake
An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the eastern city of Van in Turkey killing around 138 people and injuring 350 on Sunday afternoon. The epicenterof the quake is reportedly located in the village of Tabanli in Van province bordering Iran. Reuters
Turkey Earthquake 2011 138 Dead and About 350 Injured in 7.2 Magnitude Quake
An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the eastern city of Van in Turkey in October. The same region was hit again Wednesday. Reuters
Turkey Earthquake 2011 138 Dead and About 350 Injured in 7.2 Magnitude Quake
An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the eastern city of Van in Turkey killing around 138 people and injuring 350 on Sunday afternoon. The epicenterof the quake is reportedly located in the village of Tabanli in Van province bordering Iran. Reuters
Turkey Earthquake 2011 138 Dead and About 350 Injured in 7.2 Magnitude Quake
An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the eastern city of Van in Turkey killing around 138 people and injuring 350 on Sunday afternoon. The epicenterof the quake is reportedly located in the village of Tabanli in Van province bordering Iran. Reuters
Earthquake Earthquake Earthquake Quake