HUALIEN, Taiwan, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The death toll following a 7.3-magnitude earthquake in China's Taiwan on Wednesday morning has risen to 10, local authorities said on Thursday.
After rescue efforts on Thursday, focused on the Taroko park region in Hualien County, approximately 150 people who had been trapped were rescued, according to an official of the search and rescue team.
As of 9:00 p.m., 1,067 people have been injured in the earthquake. A total of 660 people remain trapped, and 38 have yet to be located.
Among those who remain trapped, over 600 people are located in a hotel within Taroko Gorge National Park or in a nearby activity center.
Severe landslides triggered by the strong earthquake have hindered the rescue operation and made it impossible to restore transportation services quickly, according to the official.
The official confirmed that those who remain trapped are safe at present, and they have enough food and water for about four days.
The official also noted that it is a challenge to predict when all those trapped will be rescued. If necessary, arrangements will be made to drop food to the site by air.
At 7:58 a.m. Wednesday, the earthquake jolted the sea area near Hualien County in Taiwan. ■
