Hualien

Hualien, Taiwan (CNN) — Wu was preparing breakfast for guests at the small hotel he runs in Taiwan’s Hualien County when the shelves around him shook violently and the mountain behind his house roared.

As of early on Sunday evening only two people had been reported slightly injured, after a tree fell on a truck in the eastern county of Hualien.

Although train service from Taipei to Hualien was suspended, the disruption to traffic was minimal and the road, provincial highway 8, was expected to be cleared by Wednesday.

In the county seat of Hualien, crews were working to demolish the five-storey Tien Wang Hsing building, which was left leaning at a severe angle, one of scores of buildings damaged around the island.

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 kilometres (90 miles) from Taipei.

So far, only one person was killed in a collapsed building – the Uranus Building in downtown Hualien.

Speaking outside one of the collapsed buildings in Hualien, President –elect Lai Ching-te, said the top priority is to rescue people at the moment.

Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te inspects the damage following the earthquake, in Hualien, Taiwan in this Taiwan Presidential Office handout image released April 3, 2024.

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Taiwan’s east coast on April 3 caused substantial damage, particularly in Hualien with collapsed buildings and infrastructure disruptions.

On Monday, Mr Holst said the cruise ship had then been refused entry to Hualien in northern Taiwan and would instead go to Kaohsiung in the island's south on Tuesday.

On Saturday, eastern Hualien County recorded more than 500 millimetres of rain, the bureau said.

A building in Taiwan collapses following the 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan, last week.

Hualien is one of Taiwan’s most popular tourist hubs as it lies on the picturesque east coast rail line and is near to popular Taroko Gorge.

Rescuers are seen entering a building that collapsed onto its side from an early morning 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Hualien County, eastern Taiwan, Wednesday, Feb. 7 2018.

Taiwan's Central News Agency reported that the ground floor of the Marshal Hotel, a building in Hualien district, had caved in, causing the death of one employee.

The Associated Press reported Feb. 8 that more than 260 people were injured and 10 people remained unaccounted for in Hualien County.

The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) would like to convey its sincere gratitude to all Saint Lucians who have expressed condolences and support for the victims of the Hualien earthquake.