HUALIEN, TAIWAN:
A helicopter on Thursday swept up six people trapped in a mining area after Taiwan’s worst earthquake in 25 years, and rescue partners reached the 400 people airlifted to a hotel in a mountainous national park and confirmed everyone was safe.
Hundreds of aftershocks rocked Taiwan’s eastern region, sending many to seek shelter outdoors, as the death toll from Wednesday’s 7.2-magnitude earthquake rose to 10, with 1,099 injured, authorities said.
A helicopter carried six miners trapped on a cliff to safety in a dramatic rescue after the earthquake cut off roads in the high mountains of Hualien, according to footage shown by the department.
The ministry said four foreigners were still missing – a Canadian, an Indian and two Australians.
Rescuers found most of the hotel’s 50 or so workers surrounded on a highway as they headed to a resort in Taroko Gorge National Park.
They also reached the same hotel in the canyon, cut off by the earthquake, by helicopter and found that all 400 people there were safe. The Fire Department announced that work will continue in the morning to reopen the road.
Read also: Nine dead in the strongest earthquake in the last 25 years in Taiwan, 50 missing
The discovery of a body on a hiking trail near the canyon entrance brought the total number of deaths to ten.
The agriculture ministry urged people to stay away from the mountains because of the risk of falling rocks and the formation of “barrier lakes” as pools of water behind unstable debris.
Thursday was the start of a long holiday weekend for the tomb festival, when families traditionally return to their homes to attend to the graves of ancestors, although others will also visit tourist attractions.
People in the largely rural and sparsely populated Hualien County were ready to go to work and school when the earthquake hit the offshore areas on Wednesday.
Buildings also shook violently in Taipei, but the capital suffered minimal damage and disruption.
Terrible aftershocks
Everyone trapped in buildings in the worst-hit city of Hualien has been rescued, but many residents reeling from more than 300 aftershocks spent the night outdoors.
“The aftershocks were terrifying,” said Yu, a 52-year-old woman who gave only her family name. “It’s non-stop. I don’t dare sleep at home.”
Too scared to return to her apartment, which she described as a “mess,” she slept in a tent on a sports field used as a temporary shelter.
Dozens of residents lined up outside a badly damaged 10-story building, waiting to get in and retrieve their belongings.
A general view as workers carry out operations at the site of a collapsed building after the earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan, April 4, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS
Clad in helmets and escorted by government personnel, they were each given 10 minutes to gather valuables into huge garbage bags, although some saved time by throwing items out of windows onto the street below.
“This building is no longer habitable,” said Tian Liang-si, who lived on the fifth floor, as she tried to pack her laptop, family photos and other critical items.
He recalled the moment the earthquake hit, causing the building to overturn and furniture to slide, as he rushed to save the four puppies he keeps as pets.
“I am a native of Hualien,” he said Reuters. “I shouldn’t be afraid of earthquakes. But this is an earthquake that scared us.”
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