Dozens of people trapped in tunnels

In a mountainous region, several people are trapped in tunnels – including two Germans.

According to the authorities there, several people are still trapped in tunnels on the east coast after the worst earthquake in Taiwan in 25 years, including two Germans. A total of 77 people are expected to be buried, the fire department’s operations management said. 60 of them were in a tunnel north of the city of Hualien in the sparsely populated mountain region of the same name, which was particularly hard hit by the quake.

According to the dpa news agency, the two Germans are in the Chongde Tunnel, which is located in Taroko National Park. There is no information available about the condition of the two. The national park is also north of the city of Hualien.

At least seven dead and more than 700 injured

According to previous reports from the national fire department, at least seven people were killed and more than 700 people were injured in the quake, which occurred at around 8 a.m. (local time). The tremors were felt across the country.

Taiwan’s meteorological agency recorded a magnitude 7.2 quake southeast of the coast near Hualien at a depth of 15.5 kilometers. The US Earthquake Observatory (USGS) reported a magnitude of 7.4 in the area, meaning the epicenter was 18 kilometers south of Hualien.

The director of the Seismological Center in Taipei, Wu Chien-fu, spoke of the worst earthquake in Taiwan in 25 years. Aftershocks reached a magnitude of up to 6.5.

Repeated earthquakes in Taiwan

Taiwan is regularly shaken by earthquakes because tectonic plates collide in the region. In 1999, the deadliest earthquake in Taiwan’s history occurred. Around 2,400 people died as a result of the tremors with a magnitude of 7.6.