Two people have been killed after an earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale rocked Taiwan on May 1.

Fire department officials said the victims were found in a van, crushed by a large rock rolling down a mountain at the Taroko Gorge, a popular tourist spot in eastern Hualian County.

Traffic to the scenic spot was partially halted by landslides. The tremor hit at 4 pm local time with an epicenter 7.4 kilometers west of the county.

The island suffered its worst earthquake in a century on September 21, 1999, when one measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck central Taiwan, leaving 2,400 people dead.

The Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits has sent a letter of condolences to victims of the quake.

(cri.com May 2, 2004)