TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In the wake of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Taiwan’s east coast on Wednesday (April 3) morning, landslides have cut off access along Hualien’s Provincial Highway No. 8, which leads in and out of Taroko National Park.
An estimated 50 employees of the Silks Place resort hotel were traveling to work in four shuttle buses, and were stranded on the mountainous road as a result of landslides, reported UDN. Wednesday afternoon, emergency crews began the arduous work of clearing the road to rescue the group.
Based on the time the shuttle buses headed up the mountain and pings picked up from cellphone service towers, authorities believe the group may have sought shelter in the Jiuqiu Cave system after the initial quake. Alternately, the group may be stuck inside a tunnel along the highway dug into the cliff side near the cave entrance.
In an area with normally unstable cellphone service, there are worries the entrance to the tunnel or the cave may have collapsed or otherwise been sealed by rockfall during the morning’s numerous aftershocks. A family member of one employee reportedly made contact earlier in the day, and said that no one in the group was seriously injured at the time, per SETN.
Road crews are working to clear rocks and earth as they move westward and upward into the mountainous terrain of the Taroko National Park. At the 180 km mark of the provincial highway, crews found a jeep on the road with one dead passenger, who had been crushed by a falling boulder.
By 7 p.m. Wednesday, crews had cleared the road to approximately 8 km from the Jiuqiu Cave System entrance. If work continues without major delays, they may reach the area where the employees are thought to be trapped sometime after midnight on Thursday (April 4), per UDN.
Minister of the Interior Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said that emergency rescue personnel crews have been dispatched to the area. Once the group is located, the crews will assess conditions to determine the best way to get the group to safety.
If there are no serious injuries, the group will likely remain on the mountain until first light and then be escorted on foot, until a point is found where they can be safely transported by motor vehicle.
Farther up the mountain, at the Silks Place resort, 309 guests were reportedly staying at the hotel the morning of the earthquake. All of the hotel guests are reportedly safe, despite being temporarily stranded in Taroko National Park.
Due to the continued risk of aftershocks and falling rocks over the coming days, the government warns the public to stay out of Taiwan’s National Parks and away from remote mountain roads until further notice.
