Earthquake in Taiwan - Rescuers search for hundreds of people under rubble
Rescuers continue to search for people under the rubble (photo: Getty Images)
After the strongest earthquake in the last 25 years near the island of Taiwan, rescue teams are trying to reach over 100 people who are trapped in mines and the National Park, according to The Guardian.
Search and rescue operations around the hardest-hit city of Hualien on the east coast are complicated by more than 50 aftershocks that occurred on Wednesday, April 3. According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA), aftershocks ranging from magnitude 6.5 to 7 are expected over the next four days.
About 80 people are believed to be trapped in mining areas, though it was not immediately clear if they were inside a mine at the time of the quake.
Additionally, about 50 hotel employees are stranded in Taroko National Park after their convoy of four minibusses became trapped on a mountain road due to a landslide. Mobile phone signals indicate they may have taken shelter in the Jhujiu cave system. Rescue teams are working to clear the road to reach them. Local media reported three tourists and one driver died in the park due to collapses.
Earthquake near Taiwan
On the morning of Wednesday, April 3, Taiwan was shaken by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The epicenter of the tremors was recorded at a depth of 15.5 km near Hualien - a city popular among tourists on the island's eastern coast.
According to the latest reports, nine people have died as a result of the tragedy, with around a thousand injured.
Read more about the consequences of the powerful earthquake in Taiwan in the article by RBC-Ukraine.
