Rescue helicopters from Taiwan conducted airborne missions on Saturday to evacuate tourists who had been left stranded in the highlands for several days due to a strong earthquake that damaged roads and shut tunnels.
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that rocked the island on Wednesday left at least 10 dead and over 1,100 injured; widespread disaster preparedness and stringent construction rules are credited with preventing an even worse disaster.
Large-scale landslides brought about by the earthquake blocked lengthy, twisting roads that cut across the island from east to west as well as a coastal roadway that ran from north to south and was carved out of steep cliffs.
Over 300 aftershocks have rocked Hualien, the epicentre of which is located about 60 miles (or 100 kilometers) south of Taipei, the capital. One of the strongest ones occurred early on Saturday.
However, in order to rescue stranded tourists, National Airborne Service Corps helicopters were flying into cut-off locations close to the picturesque Taroko National Park.
One flight carried 12 people to safety, while another carried 16. An AFP employee witnessed this.
