Death toll rises to 9 in earthquake that toppled buildings in Taiwan

As the run rose over Taiwan's coastal city of Hualien Thursday, at least 62 people were still missing or unaccounted for after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the region late Tuesday night, toppling buildings and killing nine people.

Another 260 people have been injured and about 31,000 households were without water as of Wednesday as strong aftershocks continued to rattle the city, according to Taiwan's Central Emergency Operation Center.

Search-and-rescue teams have been working around the clock at the site of four collapsed buildings since the earthquake struck Hualien at about 11:50 pm local time Tuesday night.

Heavy afternoon rain hampered rescue efforts at the once 12-story Yun Men Tsui Ti building, which has been tilting at a precarious angle in danger of utter collapse, Taiwanese newspaper Apple Daily reported. Parts of the first four floors buckled during the quake, resulting in the tilt.

The epicenter of the quake was about 5.9 miles deep and located off the coast of Taiwan, roughly 13 miles from Hualien, according to the US Geological Survey.

Taiwan is situated along the "Ring of Fire," the world's most seismically active region, making the small island nation no stranger to quakes.

But since Sunday, clusters of strong earthquakes have continuously shaken the city of Hualien, until the strongest one hit Tuesday night.

Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau warned Hualien residents to expect potentially strong aftershocks for the next two weeks

Source: AP