At least seven killed, 67 missing after quake rocks Taiwan tourist area

Rescue efforts continued in Taiwan on Wednesday (February 7), in a search for 67 people missing after a strong earthquake killed at least 7 near the popular tourist city of Hualien. Emergency workers surrounded a badly damaged 12-storey residential building, a major focus of the rescue effort. Windows had collapsed and the building was wedged into the ground at a roughly 40-degree angle. Many residents and tourists decided to take shelter in Hualien stadium, fearing aftershocks that have continued following the quake. Aftershocks with a magnitude of at least 5.0 could rock the island in the next two weeks, the government said. The magnitude 6.4 quake, which hit near the coastal city just before midnight (1600 GMT) on Tuesday (February 6), also injured 258 people and collapsed four buildings, officials said. Credit: Reuters