TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Seven people were rescued from Taroko Gorge National Park on Thursday afternoon (April 4) as rescue teams continue to advance into the mountainous area where more than 40 people are believed to be trapped.
The seven people were rescued more than thirty hours after becoming trapped by a rockfall caused by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Hualien County on Wednesday. They are all employees of the Jingying Hotel and were on their way to work when they became trapped, per CNA.
One 17-year-old hotel employee reportedly had his legs broken by the rockfall, and two others received minor injuries. Video taken by members of the rescue team showed some of the seven rescued individuals walking out of Taroko Gorge on foot, and one was carried out on a stretcher.
Rescuers are using camera-mounted drones to determine the location of trapped people in the national park. Rescuers confirmed the location of a further four people on Thursday, in addition to the seven rescued.
They are also aware of a further 20 people trapped in a cave near the 175-kilometer point on the Central Cross-Island Highway, which connects Taiwan’s east and west coasts between Hualien and Taichung.
Captain of one of Hualien County’s search and rescue teams Wu Chia-chi (吳佳奇) said the goal on Thursday was to reach the cave. Those trapped in the cave are reportedly safe.
Many parts of the Central Cross-Island Highway have been destroyed by landslides and rockfall. Taiwan’s Interior Minister Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) was on site monitoring the situation and said the terrain is harsh.
Lin said that depending on weather conditions, helicopters may enter the area in the coming days. He said that because of the terrain, there are blind spots where drones cannot send video back to rescuers, hindering progress.
