Death Toll Rises to 12 on Third Day After Taiwan Earthquake... "Rescue Operations Continue"

On the third day since the strong earthquake struck Taiwan, the authorities focused all their efforts on searching for missing persons and restoring damage amid approximately 500 aftershocks on the 5th (local time).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Taiwanese media including United Daily News, the Taiwan Central Disaster Response Center announced that as of the afternoon of the day, the cumulative death toll had risen by 2 from 10 the previous day to 12.

The cumulative death toll as of the afternoon increased from 10 the previous day to 12. The number of injured was reported as 1,113, isolated persons as 634, and missing persons as 13.

The two newly confirmed fatalities were found beneath a pile of rocks on the Sakadang Trail within Taroko National Park in Hualien County. The Sakadang Trail, located at an altitude of 60 meters and stretching a total of 4.1 km, is a popular spot where visitors walk along the valley to observe various flora and fauna.

Authorities conducted search operations focusing on presumed isolated areas and successfully rescued 7 people in Taroko National Park and 9 people from mountain caves on the same day. It is estimated that hundreds of people remain isolated in this park. However, since about 500 aftershocks, both large and small, have occurred over the three days since the earthquake and are expected to continue for another 2 to 3 days, rescue operations are anticipated to be challenging.

In Hualien County, which was closest to the epicenter and suffered the most damage, restoration work on infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and water supply is actively underway. In particular, demolition work has begun on the 8-story Tianwangxing Building in Hualien County, which was leaning just before collapsing.

Taiwan's semiconductor industry is focusing on restoring some production facilities that were disrupted by the earthquake. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturer), stated in a press release the previous night that "the earthquake damage is greater than expected," and that it would take more time to resume automated production on some lines.

Although TSMC's production line recovery rate has reached 80%, the damage from the earthquake is greater than expected, so it is expected to take time for full recovery. According to the industry, there is a possibility of damage to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment used by TSMC due to the earthquake, and the Dutch equipment supplier ASML is reportedly providing recovery support centered on its local organization in Taiwan.

Taiwanese media such as DigiTimes estimated that "the scale of damage TSMC suffered from this earthquake will be about 2 billion New Taiwan dollars (approximately 84 billion Korean won)."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.