TAIPEI, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Two more bodies were found in the ruins of a building in Taiwan's Hualien County Friday afternoon, taking the death toll of the powerful earthquake to 12.

The bodies were identified as a Canadian couple, according to Taiwan's emergency operation center.

A family of five from Chinese mainland were still trapped in the rubble as of 4 p.m. Friday, after the earthquake late Tuesday night.

Rescuers are continuing their search, but facing great difficulties with very limited space to enter the site, according to Fu Kun-Chi, head of Hualien County.

"We will do our best to find the missing people within the 72-hour golden rescue period," said Fu.

The 12 victims of the earthquake include four from Chinese mainland, five from Taiwan, one from the Philippines and two from Canada. A total of 278 people were injured.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), the magnitude 6.5 earthquake jolted waters near Hualien at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday.

It was the most severe earthquake to hit Hualien in five decades, according to Fu.