The number of injured people in a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in eastern Taiwan has gone over 1,000 on Thursday, while the death toll remains at nine. 42 workers who were heading to a hotel in a national park are still missing. Taiwan The earthquake, the strongest in 25 years, struck on Wednesday morning as people were getting ready for work and school. It was focused on the largely rural and sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien.
The capital Taipei also experienced strong shaking, but there was minimal damage and disruption.
Taiwan’s fire department reported that the number of injuries had reached 1,038, and said that 48 people, including 42 hotel workers, are missing.
On Wednesday evening, the disaster management command center announced that the search for the hotel workers on their way to Taroko Gorge, a national park, was a major concern. Authorities planned to use drones and helicopters to search for them and provide supplies if they are found.
People who had been trapped are starting to be found and taken to safety.
On Thursday, a helicopter rescued six people who had been trapped in a mining area, according to the fire department.
The railway line to Hualien also reopened earlier than expected on Thursday, although one rural station north of Hualien city remains closed due to damage, as reported by the railway administration.
In Hualien city, the rescue work for those who had been trapped in buildings has been completed. Some people chose to sleep outdoors due to the numerous aftershocks in the region.
A 52-year-old woman named Yu said she decided to stay in a tent at a temporary shelter on a sports ground on Wednesday night because she was too frightened to sleep in her apartment, which she described as 'a mess.'
“The aftershocks were terrifying. It’s nonstop. I do not dare to sleep in the house,” she said.
The disaster management command center emphasized that the search for the 42 hotel workers on their way to Taroko Gorge, a national park, was a major priority.
