Earthquake-hit Taroko National Park partially reopens

Taipei, April 3 (CNA) Parts of Taroko National Park in Hualien County have reopened a year after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake rattled eastern Taiwan.

Areas deemed stable are now accessible for hiking and leisure, with concerts and environmental education activities planned to help revitalize the region devastated by the deadly quake, the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement Thursday.

The April 3, 2024, earthquake off the coast of Hualien was Taiwan's most powerful since the magnitude 7.3 921 Jiji earthquake in 1999.

It claimed 18 lives, injured more than 1,100 people, and dealt a heavy blow to Hualien's tourism industry, a pillar of the local economy.

The areas now open include the Taroko Visitor Center and locations west of Xibao Community, such as Luoshao Community, Guanyuan Recreation Area and Xiaofengkou Recreation Area, the ministry said.

Restoration work has also been completed in the Taroko Terrace and Tianxiang Recreation Area, it added.

Meanwhile, repairs to Dekalun Trail, the Dali-Datong Trail, Chongde Recreation Area, and Daqingshui Recreation Area are nearing completion, with reopenings expected in the first half of 2025.

The ministry noted that NT$3 billion (US$90.6 million) had been allocated for reconstruction in 2024 but said much work remains to be done.