TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has recorded over 900 aftershocks since the deadly magnitude 7.2 quake that struck off the east coast on April 3, and 17 people have been confirmed dead.
The Central Weather Administration has recorded 908 quakes after the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County which was felt throughout Taiwan. The 908 quakes registered an average magnitude of 3.81, and 879 of them occurred in Hualien.
Rescuers said on Sunday that the search for a missing Singaporean couple believed to be lost in Hualien’s Taroko National Park would be called off, and prayers were held for the missing.
The area was extensively damaged by rockfall and landslides during the earthquake. Video showed a landslide that was narrowly avoided by eight members of a rescue team searching for the couple on Saturday.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, rescuers recovered the body of a truck driver from a mining area in Hualien’s Xiulin Township. The death toll from the earthquake has now risen to 17, and the Singaporean couple are the only two who remain missing.
The demolition of the Da Xing Wang building in Hualien, which was shown by news around the world after it partially collapsed during the quake, is underway.
Meanwhile, donations from private actors and countries around the world have been sent to Taiwan. The central government has allocated NT$300 million (US$9.37 million) to recovery efforts.