In the wake of natural disasters, humanity’s resilience shines brightest amidst the rubble. Such was the case in Taiwan, Over 600 people, including roughly 450 at a hotel in Taroko Park, are still unaccounted for in various locations cut off by rockslides and other damage. It has been three days after Taiwan felt its strongest 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 25 years. Rescue operations are still underway.
Rescue Operations Continue In Taiwan
To recover two more victims who were buried beneath boulders on a hiking trail, authorities intend to bring in heavy machinery. Renowned for its rough and difficult terrain, Taroko National Park has four more missing persons on the same Shakadang Trail. After being cancelled Friday afternoon due to aftershocks, search and recovery operations were scheduled to restart. Twelve people have died and 1,099 people have been injured.
Horrifying stories of pebbles falling onto roads and locking survivors in tunnels until help arrived to free them have been shared by survivors. A structure in Hualien that had been let to lean at an unsafe angle over a street was being carefully demolished. After the earthquake shut off the routes into Hualien’s towering mountains, a chopper performed a dramatic rescue, rescuing six miners who were trapped on a ledge.
Also Read: 2 Earthquakes Hit Taiwan On Wednesday; 4 Died, Over 50 Injured
Travel Hit Due To Taiwan Earthquake
More than 600 people were still stranded in various areas as rescuers in Taiwan planned to send in heavy equipment on Saturday in an attempt to recover two dead buried on the hiking trail. Two Indian nationals who vanished in Taiwan following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that devastated the island nation on Wednesday were able to contact the ministry and are now safe.
In the course of Friday’s search, rescuers in Taiwan now run the risk of encountering more landslides and rockfalls. Known for its breathtaking scenery, Hualien has seen a decline in commerce due to the earthquake, with many reservations being cancelled. The earthquake struck the day before Taiwan’s traditional tomb-sweeping festival, which is a long weekend during which residents tidy up family tombs. Because Taiwan is situated close to the meeting point of two tectonic plates, it is vulnerable to earthquakes.
Cover image credits: Canva (representational)