Workers begin demolition of collapsed building, two days after a powerful earthquake struck the city, in Hualien City, eastern Taiwan, Friday, April 5, 2024. - AP
TAIPEI (dpa): The death toll following a powerful earthquake in Taiwan rose to 13 on Saturday after another body was discovered in hard-hit Taroko National Park.
In the eastern city of Hualien, around which Wednesday's 7.2-magnitude earthquake was centred, roads in mountainous areas remained blocked by multiple landslides.
In the national park on Saturday rescue teams found one body and were still trying to remove others trapped under rocks. The discovery brought the death toll to 13, the National Fire Agency said, with six people still unaccounted for.
The disaster caused at least 1,145 injuries.
Meanwhile, more than 440 people, including tourists and residents, remained stranded at several sites in the park known for its rugged terrain, according to authorities.
Interior Minister Lin Yu-chang, who chairs the Central Emergency Operation Centre, said some sections of damaged roads have been repaired and the government would try to transfer stranded people to safe places as soon as possible.
Lin said that a rescue team from Turkey is due to arrive in Taiwan to help search the park for the missing people. - dpa
