The number of people injured in the massive earthquake that hit eastern Taiwan on Wednesday has climbed past 1,000 as hundreds remain trapped in hotels in Taroko National Park — a popular tourist destination.
The development comes after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years, struck the Island nation resulting in nine fatalities as well as causing damage more than 100 buildings.
The quake was centred just off the east coast — in the sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien — at a depth of 15.5 kilometres (9.6 miles), according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.
Buildings also shook violently in the capital Taipei, but damage and disruption there was minimal.
The country also issued a tsunami warning but reported no damage from that, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii later said the risk of damaging tsunami waves had passed.
