Update | Seven killed, 260 injured in Taiwan earthquake

Seven people were killed and 260 were injured as of 10:00 p.m. Wednesday after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit Taiwan.

A female tourist from the Chinese mainland died at 9:00 p.m. Wednesday after treatment failed.

A total of 67 people are still missing.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the earthquake jolted waters near Hualien at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday. The epicenter was monitored at 24.13 degrees north latitude and 121.71 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 11 kilometers.

The earthquake was followed by at least 160 aftershocks including several measuring over magnitude 5 as of 7:00 p.m. Wednesday.

It is the most severe earthquake to hit Hualien in five decades, according to Fu, the head of Hualien County.

The highway from Suao to Hualien was temporarily closed. The earthquake also caused 200 households to lose power and 35,000 households to lose water supply, the local fire agency said.

Taiwan's earthquake experts said more quakes might occur in the coming weeks.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)