Taiwan earthquake sparks race for trapped survivors as infrastructure tested

TAIPEI -- Rescue personnel in Taiwan on Thursday were working to reach trapped survivors of the major earthquake that struck the island the previous day, as the disaster drew comparisons with a temblor 25 years ago and focused attention on the resilience of infrastructure.

As of early Thursday afternoon, the death toll was steady at nine, but local authorities said the number of people known to be trapped had jumped to 646 -- many of them related to a hotel and an activity center in a national park. Forty-two people could not be contacted, while more than 1,000 were injured.