From correspondents in Taipei County, China, 10:01 PM IST

Rescuers Tuesday pulled out the bodies of seven people who were buried by heavy masses of debris when a tunnel in central Taiwan collapsed after Typhoon Sinlaku lashed the island, killing at least 11.

'The seven showed no signs of life when they were pulled out,' said a police officer by telephone.

He said rescuers saved nine others from the debris and rushed them to hospitals for treatment. Their conditions were listed as stable by doctors.

At the Fengchiuming Tunnel in central Taiwan's Nantou County, rescuers dug out six cars and two motorcycles and retrieved seven bodies of the victims.

Several backhoes were used to remove earth and rocks that buried the mountainside tunnel and killed one volunteer who was directing traffic Monday afternoon.

In Taichung County, divers and soldiers were combing the Tachia River, after one side of the Fenghou Bridge collapsed during the typhoon Sunday night, causing three cars with six people inside to plunge into the Tachai River.

Rescuers had recovered one car and its occupant Tuesday.

Rescue operations also continued at the Lushan hot springs resort in highland Nantou County, where several hotels tilted during the typhoon, with one seven-storey structure lying on its side across a river bed.

One woman was buried alive in the Lushan resort while several others were washed away by flooded rivers and listed as missing.

The National Disaster Prevention and Protection Commission said so far 11 people were killed, while 11 others were still missing. The typhoon also caused injuries to 20 people.

The storm severely damaged Taiwan's farm crops and triggered flooding, landslides and rockfalls in central mountains with a loss of 501 million Taiwan dollars ($15 million) so far, the commission said.

Legislator Chiu Yi Tuesday blamed the government for a slow disaster response. He said Fenghou Bridge pillars were deteriorated and the bridge should have been closed long ago.

Transport Minister Mao Chih-kuo said Tuesday his ministry has drafted budgets to repair or reinforce some 200 'dangerous bridges' across Taiwan within four years.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)