Taiwan earthquake death toll rises to 16; rescuers still searching for two missing Singaporeans

TAIPEI: The death toll from a massive earthquake that struck Taiwan last week rose to 16 on Wednesday (Apr 10) after three more bodies were found on a hiking trail, officials said.

The 7.2-magnitude quake that hit the island on Apr 3 also left more than 1,100 people injured, with strict building codes and widespread disaster readiness credited with averting an even bigger catastrophe.

Authorities discovered the three victims on Wednesday as they worked to retrieve two other bodies buried under the rocks along the Shakadang Trail in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien county, the quake’s epicentre.

Three people remain missing along the Shakadang Trail, including two Singaporeans, said the National Fire Agency.

Singaporeans Sim Hwee Kok and Neo Siew Choo were last seen at a bus station in Hualien, preparing to board a shuttle bus heading to Taroko National Park. Taiwan’s immigration agency said that the missing pair are a married couple.

On Sunday, Taiwan rescuers narrowed the search perimeter.