1999 Jiji earthquake

A huge shake hit the land of Taiwan.

It happened in the middle of the night. The ground moved very hard. Many houses and schools fell down.

Many people were hurt or lost their homes. Workers from many lands came to help. They dug through the rubble to find people. They gave food to those in need. Even a young boy was found alive.

Now, people do drills to stay safe.

On September 21, 1999, a large earthquake hit Taiwan.

It happened at 1:47 in the morning. The quake moved along the Chelungpu Fault. A fault is a crack in the Earth's crust. This quake was very strong. It measured 7.7 on the magnitude scale. This scale tells us how much power a quake has. The shaking caused much damage. Many buildings fell down. In Taipei, the 12-story Tunghsing Building collapsed.

This happened because the building was not built well. It had plastic bottles and paper inside its walls. Over 50,000 buildings were destroyed. The quake also caused 132 landslides. A landslide is when rocks and dirt slide down a hill. Many people were hurt or died. More than 100,000 people lost their homes.

Rescue teams came from many countries to help. They dug through the rubble to find survivors. Even two brothers were found alive after five days. Now, Taiwan holds drills every year to help people stay safe.

On September 21, 1999, a massive earthquake struck the island of Taiwan.

This event is known by many names, like the Jiji earthquake or the 921 earthquake. It happened very early in the morning at 1:47 AM. The shaking was incredibly powerful, measuring 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale. This earthquake was the second deadliest in the recorded history of Taiwan. It changed the lives of many people and the economy of the island forever.

The earthquake happened along a crack in the Earth called the Chelungpu Fault. This fault runs through the foothills of the mountains in Nantou and Taichung. When the ground moved, it caused many different things to happen. Some parts of the land were pushed up by as much as 5 meters. The movement was so strong it even created a new waterfall near the Dajia River. In some areas, the soil turned soft and acted like a liquid. This is called soil liquefaction, and it caused buildings to sink into the ground.

Scientists were able to study this event very closely. At the time, Taiwan had the best network of sensors in the world. This gave researchers a great set of data to learn about earthquakes. One sensor recorded a movement of 300 centimeters per second. This was the highest measurement ever taken during an earthquake anywhere. In the month after the main event, the Central Weather Bureau recorded 12,911 aftershocks. These smaller shakes continued to rattle the ground for a long time.

The damage from the quake was huge and spread across many places. In total, 2,415 people died and over 11,000 people were badly injured. More than 51,000 buildings were completely destroyed by the shaking.

In Taipei City, a 12-story building called the Tunghsing Building collapsed. This happened because the building was not built safely with proper materials. Investigators found that builders had used plastic bottles and newspaper inside the walls. Many people were angry at the government and builders for these mistakes. The total cost of the damage was about 300 billion NT dollars.

Even in the middle of such a hard time, there were stories of hope. Rescue workers from over 20 countries arrived to help dig through the rubble.

They worked with the Taiwanese military to find survivors. One six-year-old boy was rescued after 88 hours under the debris. Two brothers were even found alive after 130 hours in a collapsed building. To help people stay ready, Taiwan now holds a national drill every year. Every September 21 at 9:21 AM, mobile phones receive a warning alert. This helps everyone remember to be prepared for future emergencies.

The 1999 Jiji earthquake, also known as the 921 earthquake, was a massive seismic event in Taiwan. It occurred on September 21, 1999, at 01:47:12 local time. The earthquake struck near the town of Jiji in Nantou County. It measured 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale and 7.3 on the Richter scale. This event is the second-deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's recorded history.

It released an estimated 2.1 × 10^17 joules of energy. This amount of energy is approximately equal to the yield of the Tsar Bomba. The quake had a profound effect on Taiwan's economy and its people.

The earthquake was caused by movement along the Chelungpu Fault. This fault stretches through the foothills of the Central Mountains. The fault line runs through both Nantou County and Taichung County. During the event, the surface rupture reached about 100 km in length. The movement was so intense that some sections of land rose by as much as 5 meters. Near Dongshih, the rupture offset the Dajia River channel. This movement actually created a nearly 100-meter high waterfall.

The earthquake was unusual because most of Taiwan's quakes happen off the eastern coast. This specific location caused much more damage to the island.

As the ground shook, several geological processes occurred. One major effect was soil liquefaction in areas like Yuanlin. This happens when soil behaves like a liquid due to intense shaking. This process caused building foundations to settle and water wells to fill with sand. The earthquake also triggered 132 landslides during the main shock and subsequent aftershocks. Some of these landslides caused rockfalls that crushed houses. The Central Weather Bureau recorded 12,911 aftershocks in the month following the main event. One significant aftershock occurred on September 26 and measured 6.8 on the Richter scale. This aftershock caused already weakened buildings to collapse, killing three more people.

The physical damage to the island was extensive and widespread. In total, 2,415 people were killed and 11,305 were severely injured. The destruction of buildings was massive, with 51,711 structures completely destroyed. Another 53,768 buildings suffered severe damage.

In Taipei City, the 12-story Tunghsing Building collapsed. This collapse was linked to poor construction. Investigators found that structural pillars and beams were stuffed with plastic bottles and newspaper. This was done instead of using proper brick and concrete. In Nantou County, towns like Puli suffered heavily, with 846 deaths reported. Taichung County saw at least 1,074 deaths and 3,648 injuries. The total economic damage was estimated at NT$300 billion, or about US$10 billion.

Infrastructure across Taiwan faced a total breakdown. Power was cut to a large part of the island. This happened because of damage to power stations and transmission stations. Additionally, Taiwan's three nuclear power plants underwent an automatic shutdown. It took two days for the nuclear plants to restart. Taipower reported that 59% of the country had power restored one day later. Transportation was also heavily impacted. 102 major bridges were badly damaged, and many had to be torn down. The Central Cross-Island Highway was also badly damaged. This highway was the only major complete route across the mountains in central Taiwan.

Rescue efforts involved many different groups working together. The Taiwanese military was mobilized to clear roads and distribute supplies. They also played a leading role in recovering the dead. International help arrived from over 20 countries, including more than 700 rescue workers. Some survivors were found after incredible amounts of time. A six-year-old boy was rescued 88 hours after the quake. Two brothers emerged alive from the Tunghsing Building after nearly 130 hours. They survived by using water from fire hoses and rotten fruit. The earthquake provided a massive amount of scientific data. Because Taiwan had an extensive sensor network, it produced one of the best data sets ever collected. One station recorded a peak ground motion of 300 cm/s, the highest ever measured.

The disaster led to significant political and social changes in Taiwan. Public anger grew regarding shoddy construction and building codes. This dissatisfaction was cited by a sociologist as a factor in the 2000 presidential election. In response to the disaster, the government enacted the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act on June 30, 2000. Now, September 21 is a day of remembrance. Every year at 9:21 AM, a drill message is sent to all mobile phones. This alert is sent through the Public Warning System to ensure people are prepared. The event remains a defining moment in the nation's modern history.