Taiwan Earthquake: More than 1,000 injured, people afraid of aftershocks, not daring to sleep indoors
(Baonghean.vn) - As of April 4, the number of people injured in the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in eastern Taiwan (China) has exceeded 1,000. The number of people killed by the earthquake is 9, and 38 workers on their way to a hotel in a national park are still missing.
The strongest earthquake in 25 years struck on the morning of April 3rd just as people were getting ready for work and school. The epicenter of the earthquake was in Hualien, a largely rural and sparsely populated area.
Buildings also shook violently in Taipei city, but damage and disruption there was minimal.
Taiwan's fire department said the number of injured had risen to 1,038, bringing the total number of missing to 52. About a dozen hotel staff en route to a resort in Taroko National Park were found, but 38 others were still unaccounted for.
The fire department said its rescue work was focused on people trapped on the cross-island highway, which passes through a gorge connecting Hualien to Taiwan's west coast and is a popular tourist destination.
Authorities are using drones and helicopters to search for people in the canyon and will drop supplies to them when found.
On the morning of April 4, the fire department said a helicopter rescued six people trapped in the mining area.
The railway authority said the rail line to Hualien also reopened ahead of schedule on April 4, although a rural station north of Hualien city remained shut due to damage.
In Hualien city, where people trapped in buildings were rescued, some had to sleep outdoors overnight as dozens of aftershocks shook the area.
A 52-year-old woman, surnamed Yu, said she slept in a tent on a sports field used as a temporary shelter on the evening of April 3 because she was too scared to sleep in her apartment, which she described as "a mess".
"The aftershocks were terrible. They kept happening. I didn't dare sleep in my house," she said.
