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Three people among a group of seven on an early-morning hike through the hills that surround the city were crushed to death by boulders loosened by the earthquake, officials said. Separately, the drivers of a truck and a car died when their vehicles were hit by tumbling boulders, while another man died at a mine. The agency did not immediately offer details on the other three deaths. The fire authorities said they were slowly evacuating some of those trapped in tunnels near Hualien city, including two Germans. But they had lost contact with 50 travellers aboard four minibuses heading to a hotel in a national park, Taroko Gorge, they said, without giving details. “At present, the most important thing, the top priority, is to rescue people,” said President-elect Lai Ching-te, speaking outside one of the collapsed buildings in Hualien. The rail link to the area was expected to reopen on April 4, Mr Lai, who is set to take office in May, told reporters. President Tsai Ing-wen called for local and central government agencies to coordinate with each other, and said the military would also be providing support. “I’m deeply grateful for the messages of support we have received from around the world, and to our first responders for their life-saving work,” she said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. It was the strongest quake to hit the island in 25 years, local media said.
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