Rescuers search for a family of five who were feared trapped in a rockfall after the major earthquake Registered in Taiwan in 25 years, which left at least 12 dead.
Two bodies have been found in Taroko National Park, a tourist attraction famous for its rugged, mountainous terrain, in Hualien county, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the capital, Taipei. At least four more victims were found in the park, but authorities have not yet confirmed their identities.
The family, surnamed You, had gone on a hike after visiting ancestral sites for the traditional tomb-sweeping ceremony.
Wednesday’s 7.4 magnitude earthquake caused rock and mudslides in mountains, cut off roads, crushed cars and injured more than 1,000.
In the county capital of Hualien, crews were working on the demolition of a five-story building, Tien Wang Hsing, which was heavily tilted after the quake, one of dozens of structures damaged across the island. Residents, protected by motorcycle and construction helmets, recovered their legal and other documents before the large jackhammers and bulldozers began tearing down the property.
A high school teacher died in the building while returning to her apartment to look for her cat just as an aftershock hit, causing more debris to fall.
Other people were still trapped in areas isolated by road closures, including a Canadian and two other dual nationals of Australia and Singapore, according to emergency services. Authorities were using mobile phone signals to determine their position.
Hualien now faces the great challenge of reconstruction and the recovery of tourism, said the county’s top official, Hsu Chen-Wei.
“After such a powerful earthquake, reconstruction will be a very heavy burden, especially for those who still have to pay their mortgage every month. That’s why these people’s path to rebuilding their lives will depend on the help of charitable donations.”Hsu told reporters.
The low number of fatalities and rapid response have been attributed to the tightening of construction safety standards and the replacement of older buildings with modern structures designed to withstand earthquakes.
Emergency services have improved their equipment and training, with the help of groups such as the Red Cross or the Tzu Chi Buddhist charity foundation, which have provided food and set up shelters in school gymnasiums and other public spaces for those left homeless.
The powerful earthquake occurred during the morning rush hour, causing schoolchildren to run outside and families to flee from their apartments through the windows. The ground floors of some buildings collapsed, leaving them at precarious angles. Although the island regularly experiences earthquakes and is well prepared, authorities did not send warning messages because they expected a less intense tremor.
The last time Hualien suffered a deadly earthquake was in 2018, when 17 people died and a historic hotel was lost. The worst earthquake in the island’s recent history was one of magnitude 7.7 recorded on September 21, 1999, which caused 2,400 deaths and more than 100,000 injuries, in addition to destroying thousands of buildings.
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Source: Gestion
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