REGHAIA, Algeria -- A fresh tremor struck Algeria on Wednesday, terrifying a country still recovering from an earthquake that killed 2,200 people last week and an aftershock on Tuesday believed to have buried several people alive.

Huge piles of rubble and twisted metal were all that remained of a 15-story building in the eastern coastal town of Reghaia, where rescue workers said three men had become trapped on Tuesday as they tried to recover belongings.

"We don't expect to find anyone alive. We're now clearing away debris to be able to give back the bodies to the families so they can have a decent burial," a French rescue worker told Reuters at the scene.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from Wednesday's tremor -- measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale -- but fear spread throughout Algeria, compounded by the aftershock during Tuesday's evening rush hour which injured 187 people.

Kamel Kabache, 28, evacuated from the now-collapsed building in Reghaia after the first quake last week, said one of the trapped men had been a leading figure among the residents.

"Tokal Hacen was like a father to everyone. He was responsible for this area. He bought bread for everyone and took care of everyone. Now he's dead," he said.

Hundreds of people slept outside in the capital and in the quake-hit region, where UN personnel teamed up with foreign and Algerian rescue workers to look for survivors. About a dozen green army trucks lined up to remove debris from the collapsed building, one of several evacuated after the first quake.

Measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, it was the deadliest in the oil-rich Muslim North African country since one in 1980 killed 3,000 people. Its epicenter was near Zemmouri, some 30 miles east of Algiers.

"With all the aftershocks people are scared. People still sleep outside even if they have a home and no one knows when this will end," said Kabache, who has witnessed several quakes.

Wednesday's new tremor shook the dining room of the largest hotel in Algiers for several seconds at breakfast time, rattling plates, glasses and cutlery and frightening diners. -----Appeal for Calm ------

Authorities urged people to be calm and stay away from any unsafe buildings. An official from Algeria's Geophysical, Astronomical and Astrophysics Research Center said there had been around 1,000 aftershocks.

A hotel owner in Algiers said businesses were paralyzed as everyone was preoccupied with their safety and that of others. Emergency services were also under pressure since many international rescue teams left Algeria earlier this week.

The latest official toll from last week's quake was 2,218 dead and 9,497 injured. An estimated 20,000 people were left homeless. With hundreds unaccounted for under sandwiched floors of apartment blocks, the body count could still climb.

Shock and grief gave way to anger at the weekend as Algerians turned on their government, accusing it of doing little to help the homeless and of turning a blind eye to the corner-cutting of unscrupulous builders in a quake-prone area.

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, expected to seek re-election next year, ordered an inquiry into why so many buildings collapsed like decks of cards. Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia said temporary homes would be offered in two weeks' time.