Taiwan earthquake: Helicopter rescues stranded miners as injuries top 1,000
On Thursday, a helicopter heroically rescued six individuals stranded in a mining zone after Taiwan experienced its most severe earthquake in 25 years. The 7.2-magnitude quake, which occurred on Wednesday, has caused over a thousand injuries and increased the death toll to 10. Following the quake, hundreds of aftershocks have prompted many in the eastern regions near the epicenter to seek refuge outdoors.
Authorities have reported 1,067 injuries and have managed to locate most of the approximately 50 hotel workers stranded on a highway while en route to a resort in a national park. However, 660 people remain trapped, primarily in hotels within the park, after access roads were destroyed. A recent grim discovery of a body on a hiking trail near the entrance to a gorge has confirmed the total death count at ten.
In a dramatic operation, a helicopter retrieved six miners who were trapped on a cliff, showcasing the perilous conditions in Hualien's mountainous regions. With the risk of falling rocks and the potential formation of "barrier lakes" due to water accumulating behind unstable debris, the agriculture ministry has warned against mountain visits.
The earthquake struck just as Hualien county's rural and sparsely populated community was beginning a long weekend for the tomb-sweeping festival, a time when families traditionally tend to ancestral graves.
Despite the violent shaking felt in Taipei, the capital saw minimal damage and disruption. Meanwhile, in Hualien, the city hardest hit by the quake, rescues from buildings have been completed. Still, the continuous aftershocks, exceeding 300 in number, have left many residents too frightened to stay indoors.
One resident, identified only by her surname Yu, expressed her terror at the constant aftershocks and opted to sleep in a tent rather than return to her apartment. Government officials, wearing helmets for safety, have allowed residents brief access to a severely damaged building to retrieve personal belongings, emphasizing the quake's devastating impact on the community's sense of security and the habitability of its structures.
