Taiwan earthquake: Death toll rises to 10 as more than 300 'terrifying' aftershocks rock the island – live updates

Rescuers found most of the hotel's roughly 50 workers stranded on a main road as they headed to a resort in Taroko Gorge National Park.

They also arrived at the hotel located in the strait isolated by the earthquake, and ensured the safety of all 400 people. The fire department said work would continue into the morning to reopen the road.

The discovery of a body on a hiking trail near the entrance to the gorge brought the total deaths to 10.

The Ministry of Agriculture urged people to stay away from the mountains because of the risk of falling rocks and the formation of “barrier lakes” behind unstable debris.

A helicopter lifted six people stranded in a mining area to safety, confirming they were all safe.

Video footage showed that the rescue operation of the miners, who were trapped on a slope, was dramatic after the earthquake cut off roads leading to the high Hualien Mountains.

The authorities said that four foreigners are still missing: a Canadian, an Indian and two Australians.

Experts say strong earthquakes are no stranger to Taiwan, but their effects on the high-tech island's 23 million residents have been contained thanks to its excellent earthquake preparedness.

Taiwan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the seismic fault line surrounding the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur.

The region is particularly prone to earthquakes due to the accumulated tension from the interactions of tectonic plates, the Philippine Sea plate and the Eurasian plate, which can lead to sudden releases in the form of earthquakes.

Watch live as rescue efforts continue today (April 4) in the city of Hualien following the deadly earthquake that killed nine people and injured thousands.

A helicopter on Thursday recovered six people stranded in a mining area after Taiwan's worst earthquake in 25 years.

The authorities said that the number of people injured in Wednesday's earthquake, which reached a magnitude of 7.4, had risen to 1,058.

All those trapped in buildings in the worst-hit city of Hualien were rescued, but many residents, worried by more than 300 aftershocks, spent the night outdoors.

Watch live as rescue efforts continue today (April 4) in the city of Hualien following the deadly earthquake that killed nine people and injured thousands.

Taiwan on Thursday condemned China as “impudent” after Beijing's deputy ambassador to the United Nations thanked the world for its concern about a strong earthquake that struck the island.

China claims the autonomous island as its own territory and also demands the right to speak for itself on the international stage.

Geng Shuang, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said, according to a transcript of his remarks, that China is concerned about the damage and has expressed its condolences to Taiwan and offered assistance.

He added: “We thank the international community for its sympathy and concern.”

The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its anger at these statements.

The ministry said it “officially condemns China's shameful use of the Taiwan earthquake to conduct cognitive operations at the international level,” using Taiwan's usual term for what it sees as Chinese psychological warfare.

The Taiwan Meteorological Department recorded more than 300 aftershocks from Wednesday morning to Thursday.

The aftershocks forced many people on the island to sleep in tents outside their homes or in emergency shelters.

Hendry Sutrisno, a 30-year-old professor at Hualien Dong Hua University, spent Wednesday night in a tent with his wife and child for fear of aftershocks.

“We went out of the apartment and waited for four to five hours before going back up to get some important things like our wallet. Then we have been here since then to assess the situation,” he told the Associated Press.

A 52-year-old Hualien resident, who gave her last name as Yu, told Reuters: “I am afraid of aftershocks, and I do not know how strong the tremor will be.”

“The aftershocks were terrifying. They're non-stop. I don't dare sleep at home,” she said.