4-4-2024 (TAIPEI) The toll from a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Taiwan surged past 1,000 injured on Thursday (Apr 4), while the death toll held steady at nine, leaving 42 hotel workers en route to a national park hotel still missing.
The earthquake, the most potent in a quarter of a century, struck on Wednesday morning just as residents were preparing for their daily routines, primarily affecting the rural and sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien. While the capital Taipei experienced intense shaking, damage and disruption were relatively minimal.
According to Taiwan’s fire department, the number of injuries has climbed to 1,038, with a total of 48 individuals reported missing, including 42 hotel staff. Late on Wednesday, the disaster management command centre emphasized the urgency of finding the missing hotel workers, who were en route to Taroko Gorge, a national park. Authorities planned to deploy drones and helicopters to locate them and provide supplies if found.
Rescue efforts have successfully extricated some trapped individuals, with six people rescued from a mining area by helicopter on Thursday, as reported by the fire department.
The railway line to Hualien resumed operations earlier than anticipated on Thursday, although one rural station north of Hualien city remains closed due to structural damage, according to the railway administration.
In Hualien city, where rescue operations for trapped individuals have concluded, numerous residents opted to sleep outdoors due to ongoing aftershocks. One resident, Yu, 52, sought refuge in a tent at a temporary shelter on a sports ground, describing her apartment as “a mess” and expressing fear over the continuous aftershocks.
The earthquake, described by Taiwan weather officials as the most significant since a magnitude 7.6 quake in 1999 that claimed approximately 2,400 lives and damaged or destroyed 50,000 structures, reached the second-highest intensity level of “Upper 6” on the seismic scale, according to Taiwan weather officials.
Such seismic events can cause walls to collapse unless reinforced with concrete blocks, making it difficult for individuals to stand upright and necessitating crawling for movement, as noted by Japan’s weather agency.
