10 dead, 265 injured, 25 missing in M6.5 Taiwan quake

As of 12:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, the death toll of the 6.5-magnitude earthquake that rattled Taiwan's east coast on Tuesday night has risen to 10.

A collapsed building is seen in quake-hit Hualien County, southeast China's Taiwan, Feb. 7, 2018. An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 hit Taiwan late Tuesday, killing seven and injuring 254. [Photo: Xinhua]

Four tourists from the Chinese mainland were confirmed dead as of Thursday morning, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Three of them, all female, were found dead on the second floor of the destroyed Yun Tsui Building. Another female tourist was rescued on Wednesday from the same building, but was declared dead Wednesday evening due to severe injuries.

According to rescuers, five tourists from the mainland are still trapped in the building, including four adults and one child.

The quake injured 265 people, while 25 are still missing as search and rescue efforts continue for the third day.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), the earthquake struck waters near Taiwan's Hualien County at around 11:50 p.m. Tuesday at a depth of 11 kilometers.