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Rescue operations were underway on Thursday to locate and assist over 600 individuals in eastern Taiwan, following the strongest earthquake to hit the island in decades. The quake, with a magnitude of 7.4, struck just south of Hualien County, causing over 1,000 injuries and at least nine fatalities.
Aftershocks continued to shake the island, with Taiwanese officials warning that tremors as high as magnitude 7 could persist until the end of the week.
The hardest-hit region was Hualien County, where buildings collapsed and landslides were triggered.
Hong Changyi, a resident of Hualien, recounted the devastation caused by the quake. His liquor store, located in one of the collapsed buildings, was destroyed, along with all his goods and supplies. Despite the loss, he expressed gratitude that everyone was safe.
Efforts are focused on rescuing individuals stranded in a quarry in Hualien and reaching those isolated in surrounding mountain gorges, a popular tourist destination for hikers. By midday Thursday, all 64 people stranded at the Heping quarry had been safely evacuated.
One person was killed by rockfall in a second quarry, but six others were rescued. Drone footage showed workers at the damaged quarry perched on the edge of a steep cliff high above the gorge.
Among those trapped were 50 employees of the Silks Place Hotel Taroko, who had been traveling to work when the quake struck. Three workers managed to hike to the hotel and reported that the rest were safe.
The extent of the earthquake damage is still being assessed, with road and rail closures limiting access to the epicenter in Hualien County. Several buildings in Hualien collapsed, and sections of the Suhua highway were destroyed or blocked by debris.
Some residents in Hualien slept outside as aftershocks continued. One resident described the aftershocks as terrifying and said they did not dare to sleep indoors.
Most of Taiwan's rail services have resumed, and cleanup efforts are underway in Hualien. Mayor Wei Jia-Yan stated that the damage in the city is mainly to buildings that have partially collapsed, and some will need to be demolished and rebuilt.
Lin Chih-cheng, from Taiwan's Professional Civil Engineers Association, reported that so far, 100 buildings have been assessed as dangerous, with demolition work started on about a dozen.
Taiwan, a self-ruled island east of mainland China, has a population of about 23 million, with most residing in industrialized cities along the west coast, including the capital, Taipei.