Rescue teams in Taiwan faced the threat of new landslides and rockfalls as they searched for people still missing from this week's earthquake on Friday (5), as the death toll rose to 12, while some of those trapped they were taken to a safe place.
Rescuers found two more bodies after Wednesday's 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the sparsely populated and largely rural eastern county of Hualien, leaving hundreds of people trapped in a national park as boulders rolled down the mountains, blocking roads.
About 50 aftershocks shook the area overnight, some of them felt as far away as Taipei. Rescuers said about 400 people isolated at a luxury hotel in Taroko Gorge national park were safe, with helicopters transporting the injured and bringing in supplies.
“Rain increases the risks of rockfalls and landslides, which are currently the biggest challenges,” said Su Yu-ming, leader of a search team helping with rescue efforts, pointing to rain expectations.
“These factors are unpredictable, which means we cannot confirm the number of days needed for search and rescue operations.”
Taiwan's fire department said two bodies had been found in the mountains, but wanted to confirm their identities before updating the death toll.
The number of missing people is 13, three of them foreigners of Australian and Canadian nationality.
Aid supplies are arriving at the scene, while high-ranking politicians such as President Tsai Ing-wen said they were donating a month's salary to the relief efforts.
Japan will provide $1 million in aid to Taiwan for rescue and recovery efforts, its Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said.
Source: CNN Brasil
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