VOA News | Thursday, April 4, 2024 
Taiwanese recount massive quake as authorities focus on rescue and recovery

Taipei, Taiwan  — Rescuers worked Thursday to save dozens of people who remained trapped following the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years. The toll from Wednesday morning’s magnitude 7.2 tremor was at least nine dead and 1,011 injured, authorities said. Taiwan’s mountainous county of Hualien suffered the most serious damage and casualties. One of those who died there was a 33-year-old high school teacher surnamed Kang, who was found under a collapsed building. According to local media reports, Kang returned to a building that was tilting 45 degrees after the initial earthquake to rescue her cat. When rescuers found her, she had no vital signs. Eyewitnesses told Taiwan’s SET News that the building experienced a full collapse just seconds after Kang entered the building to look for her pet. The earthquake also destroyed several main transportation routes to Hualien. A road that leads to a tunnel between Hualien and Northern Taiwan was completely destroyed. Authorities have suspended the operation of the northbound railway, several sections of which experienced severe damage. The quake struck a day before a four-day holiday, leaving large numbers of travelers stranded in Hualien or with no choice but to take longer routes to reach other parts of Taiwan…Read more