Death toll rises to 7 after major earthquake in Taiwan

The death toll after a severe earthquake off the coast of Taiwan has risen to seven, the Central Emergency Operation Centre, CEOC, said on Wednesday.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake centred about 25 kilometres south-east of Hualien in eastern Taiwan triggered several landslides in the rugged east coast region of the island.

According to the CEOC, the seven victims were killed in a tunnel on the Dekalun Trail in a mining area in Hualien County.

There were 736 people injured and 77 people remain trapped in tunnels, the CEOC said.

In the Chongde Tunnel in Taroko National Park, a group of people, including two Germans, was trapped inside.

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In addition, about 60 people were trapped in Jinwen Tunnel on the highway that connected the eastern cities of Suao and Hualien.