President Tsai Ing-wen said Sept. 21 that the government will spare no effort in working with all segments of society to enhance Taiwan’s disaster prevention preparedness and rescue capabilities.
The world is under increasing threat of composite disasters as a result of extreme weather and pandemics, the president said. It is imperative that both the government and people remain on high alert and strengthen Taiwan’s responsiveness and resilience in facing such challenges, she added.
When it comes to rescue operations, the private sector plays a stabilizing role by providing humanitarian assistance, logistic services and medical care, bolstering coordinated efforts by government agencies such as the armed forces and fire agencies, Tsai said.
The president made the remarks while observing an earthquake drill in Tainan City, southern Taiwan. The drill was organized by the Ministry of the Interior on National Disaster Prevention Day, which was created in 2000 in response to the 921 Earthquake that took place the year before.
The drill simulated a magnitude 6.9 earthquake and mobilized 1,300-plus individuals. The MOI also sent a text message to residents nationwide at 09:21 asking people to drop, take cover and hold on to a sheltering object in case of an earthquake.
At 1:47 a.m. on September 21, 1999, a temblor registering 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Jiji Township in central Taiwan’s Nantou County. The earthquake claimed 2,415 lives, injured more than 11,300 people and destroyed nearly 100,000 buildings, according to the MOI.
The death toll, along with the economic losses estimated at some NT$360 billion (US$12 billion), made the quake one of the country’s worst natural disasters in more than a century. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw