KUALA LUMPUR – The number of people injured in a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in eastern Taiwan surpassed 1,000 today, but the death toll remained at nine, with 42 workers on their way to a hotel in a national park still missing.
According to Reuters, the temblor, the strongest in 25 years, struck yesterday morning just as people were preparing to go to work and school, targeting the predominantly rural and sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien.
Buildings also shook violently in the capital, Taipei, but damage and disruption were minimal.
Taiwan’s Fire Department said the number of injuries had reached 1,038, and put the total number of missing at 48, including 42 hotel workers.
The disaster management command centre was reported as saying that the search for the hotel workers on their way to Taroko Gorge, a national park, is a major focus for them.
Authorities plan to send in drones and helicopters to look for them and drop supplies if they are located.
In Hualien City, where rescue efforts for people trapped in buildings are now complete, some people slept outdoors overnight as dozens of aftershocks shook the region.
A 52-year-old woman who identified herself with the family name Yu said that she sought refuge in a tent set up on a sports field at a temporary shelter late last night.
She said that 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. – April 4, 2024