Taiwan earthquake: 2 missing Indians found, they are safe, says MEA

The Indian government said that it was able to establish contact with the two Indians who were reported missing after a powerful earthquake struck Taiwan. According to reports, the missing Indians are a man and a woman, who were last seen in Taroko Gorge, close to the epicentre of the earthquake.

"We have been now able to get in touch with the two people with whom earlier we could not establish contact. They are safe," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Nearly 1,070 people were injured in the quake. Of the 10 dead, at least four were killed inside Taroko National Park, a Hualien county tourist attraction famous for canyons and cliffs about 150 kilometers (90 miles) from Taipei. One person was found dead in a damaged building and another was found in the Ho Ren Quarry. Authorities on Thursday afternoon retrieved a body from a trail.

About 700 people were either still missing or stranded on Thursday, including over 600 who were stranded inside a hotel called Silks Place Taroko, the National Fire Agency said. Authorities said the employees and guests were safe and had food and water, and that work to repair the roads to the hotel was close to completion.

Others who were reported to be stranded, including two dozen tourists, about 20 campers and six university students, were also safe, they said.

Authorities also said about 60 workers who had been unable to leave a quarry because of blocked and damaged roads were freed. Central News Agency said all were able to leave the mountain safely around noon. Six workers from another quarry were airlifted out.

Authorities have not been able to contact about 40 people, mostly hotel employees earlier reported to be in the national park.

The quake and its aftershocks caused landslides and damaged roads, bridges and tunnels. The national legislature and sections of Taipei's main airport suffered minor damage.

The earthquake was the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years. Local authorities measured the initial quake's strength as magnitude 7.2, while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.4.

(With inputs from AP)