Taiwan earthquake: Death toll rises and scores still missing
Taiwan continued rescue efforts for scores of trapped and missing people on Thursday, a day after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that killed at least nine people.
HONG KONG — Taiwan raced to rescue hundreds of trapped and missing people on Thursday, a day after the biggest earthquake on the island in 25 years that killed at least ten people.
As of Thursday afternoon local time, there were 1,099 people injured, 705 people trapped and 15 missing, according to the Central Disaster Response Center. The death toll from Wednesday's 7.4-magnitude tremor ticked up slightly from the earlier toll of nine.
Officials said most of those trapped were at a hotel and activity center in eastern Taiwan’s Taroko National Park, which was cut off by road damage, and that they had been confirmed to be safe.
The Wednesday quake, which struck during the morning commute, was felt across the island and in the wider region and shook buildings in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei. The island’s Central Weather Administration continued to report aftershocks on Thursday.
Rescue efforts were focused on people trapped on and around a damaged highway into Hualien, a city of about 100,000 on the east coast of Taiwan near the epicenter of the quake. Supplies will be airdropped to those who are stranded if necessary, local media reported.
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