Details of Disaster Information


Taiwan : Earthquake : 1999/09/21
GLIDE: EQ-1999-000321-TWN  DRR & Disaster Information

Duration 1999/09/21
Country
   or
District
Taiwan
Name Earthquake
Outline On Sempteber 21(at Local), the earthquake occured around 01:47 local time (20 September 17:47 GMT) at Taiwan.
The quake registered 7.6 on the Richter scale.
The epicentre was near NANTO, 145km southern south east of the capital, TAIPEI.The death toll from Taiwan's devastating earthquake stood at 2,375.

Headline(Source, Date)
Personal Injury Material Damage Others
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) 1999/10/18
The death toll has risen to 2,375.
79 people are listed as missing or trapped in rubble. Some 10,000 people were injured and 100,000 left homeless.

Nearly 13,000 aftershocks had been recorded since the fatal quake on September 21st,
Reuters 1999/10/12
Emergency tent cities, schools and other temporary shelters were housing as many as 200,000 people.
Total number of people injured stood at 8,722. Only 40 bodies were believed still buried under the rubble; a further 39 people were unaccounted for.
The September 21 quake toppled or damaged 51,000 buildings, rendering some 82,238 individual households uninhabitable. As of October 11, an accounting of direct losses showed:
-- T$203.21 billion in collapsed and damaged buildings
-- T$11.45 billion in damage to facilities supplying power, natural gas, gasoline and water
-- T$15.79 billion in damage to roads, railways, ports and telecommunications facilities
-- T$61.56 billion in lost industrial revenues blamed on actual damage to production systems or loss of power.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) 1999/10/01
8,737 people as injured, 110 as missing or trapped in rubble, and seven stranded in remote areas. Some 100,000 were left homeless.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) 1999/09/28
Seven days after the pre-dawn quake struck central Taiwan, the death toll rose slightly to 2,105, with a further 8,713 people injured, 141 missing or trapped in rubble, and 100 stranded in remote areas. Total infrastructure damage is estimated at more than 100 billion Taiwanese dollars (3.1 billion US).
More than 600 stretches of road and 60 bridges were hit, estimating the total cost at nine billion Taiwanese dollars (283 million US).

BBC News 1999/09/27 17:04GMT
More than 2,000 dead, 8,700 injured. 162 people are missing or trapped in rubble and 133 are stranded in remote areas 12,000 buildings destroyed, 100,000 homeless More than 7,000 aftershocks and tremors have rocked Taiwan.
The Taipei stock exchange has opened for the first time since the quake
OCHA Situation Report No.7 1999/9/27
As of 27 September: 2,084 dead, 8,664 injured, about 162 people buried under collapsed structures and another 18 reported missing. 7,284 houses are reported to be destroyed. In addition, thousands have been left homeless, including an estimated 100,000 residents in Nantou County alone.

BBC News 1999/09/26 13:00GMT
Two brothers have been pulled alive from the rubble of a building in Taipei - five days after Taiwan's devastating earthquake. Rescuers said several more people may be alive in the collapsed hotel-apartment block.
At 6.8 on the Richter Scale, before 0800 local time of Sep. 26, the latest tremor was reported to kill at least four people.
Over 6,000 buildings destroyed. There have been at least 60 major shockwaves and more than 6,300 tremors since Tuesday's quake
CNN News 1999/09/26 05:45GMT
The 6.5-magnitude aftershock rattled central Taiwan, leaving two motorists dead after a landslide injuring at least 15.



President Lee Teng-hui signed an emergency decree which supersede all existing laws for six months
BBC News 1999/09/24 07:22GMT
The death toll now stands at 2,133, with more than 8,137 injured. 383 people are listed as missing A campaign to bring manslaughter charges against builders of poorly constructed housing blocks is gathering pace. A large tremor measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale was recorded at night of 23rd and more than 5,000 in total since the quake.

CNN News 1999/09/24 05:34GMT
Officials said 2,131 people were now confirmed dead, 8,137 injured, 68 missing and 316 entombed by rubble from numerous collapsed buildings.
3,799 people are listed as trapped -- unable to move about freely because of uprooted roads and debris but in no imminent danger.
Authorities arrested a contractor responsible for three buildings that collapsed, burying about 100 people.
The buildings had been made with substandard steel rods, and authorities found crumpled up vegetable oil cans had been used in place of bricks.

Well over 4,000 aftershocks have jolted the island since 7.6 magnitude earthquake of 21st.
Several aftershocks on Sep 23rd registered over 6.0.
Power supplies were disrupted nationwide by the earthquake and will take another week or so to get back to anywhere near normal. Therefore many mortuaries can't keep the bodies refrigerated and aren't accepting corpses.
BBC News 1999/09/23 05:39 GMT
The official toll is 2,042 dead and 6,537 injured. About 100,000 people have been left homeless. Some 2,600 people are still missing.

CNN News 1999/09/23 03:10 GMT
2,042 people were killed and more than 6,000 injured. Another 2,300 people were said to be buried in shattered homes and toppled apartments. The spokesman said some buildings were defective and "those responsible should be investigated." Rescue efforts were hampered by strong aftershocks.
BBC News 1999/09/22 03:36GMT
More than 3,000 people still buried under rubble. More than 1,700 people have been confirmed dead and around 4,000 are injured.
Local media reports say that as many as 100,000 people could be homeless.

Tremors were felt more than 500km (300 miles) away in Hong Kong and the south-eastern Chinese cities of Xiamen and Wenzhou.
State radio reported that more than six million households across the island were hit by power cuts.
More than 1,000 aftershocks were recorded in the nine hours after the quake, including 21 at five or higher on the Richter scale, local officials said.


CNN News 1999/09/22 03:04GMT
More than 1,700 people were killed and more than 4,400 were injured. Nearly 3,000 people were still believed buried in the rubble. The government estimated that 100,000 people were homeless in Taiwan's rugged central regions. In Chung Liao, a few miles from the epicenter, CNN reported that almost every building had been damaged or destroyed Chung Liao and other towns in central Taiwan were without running water, phone service and electricity. Food supplies were limited.
In Taipei 40 percent of the city's power had been restored.
The government said financial markets would stay shut.
BBC News 1999/9/21 20:46 GMT
The Taiwanese Ministry of the Interior said 1,712 were known to have been killed, at least 4,005 injured and almost 3,000 trapped in toppled buildings.
But the figures are likely to increase as more reports are collated.

Central Nantou and Taichung counties were worst affected. The town of Pu-li, nearest the epicentre in central Taiwan, reported 98% structural damage.
CNN News 1999/09/21 11:01 GMT
At least 1,455 people were dead. The Interior Ministry's disaster management center reported that 1,198 people were killed and some 3,700 injured. About 1,245 people were feared trapped.

In Nantou County, 470 county residents had been killed and 100,000 left homeless.
More than 1,000 homes were destroyed.
OCHA Situation Report No.2 1999/09/21
More than 1,200 people were killed and more than 3,800 have been injured; hundreds are still missing. It is expected that the death toll will continue to rise.
Destruction to housing and infrastructure has been substantial, particularly in Taichung city where approximately 900 buildings have been destroyed or damaged.
CNN News 1999/09/21 05:44 GMT
At least 1,100 people were killed, more than 3,500 injured and more than 1,000 others were trapped in toppled homes and buildings, some in elevators.

CNN News 1999/09/21 02:04GMT
At least 400 people were killed and about 2,000 people were injured Six million households were without power
Associated Press (AP) 1999/09/21 02:09GMT
The government said that at least 400 people were killed and about 2,000 people were injured.

More than 100 homes were destroyed nationwide. Several roads were buckled and traffic was disrupted, isolating many remote towns.
Television stations urged doctors, nurses and others with medical training to join in the rescue work.
The U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center said the quake prompted tsunami warnings for Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Yap, Guam, and Palau
Asahi Shinbun 1999/09/21 0:32(GMT)
At least 121 people are dead, 456 are injured and 744 are waiting rescue.

BBC News (1999/09/21 00:32 GMT)
At least 269 people were killed. Officials say another 1,000 are injured or trapped in the debris of collapsed buildings Most northern parts of Taiwan felt the effects of the quake, which toppled at least three buildings in the capital Taipei. Rescuers are trying to pull survivors from the rubble of the partially collapsed 78-room Sungshan Hotel Warnings of tsunamis - tidal waves which often follow earthquakes - were issued for Taiwan, Japan and other islands in the region. The authorities have warned that there could be aftershocks for two weeks.
CNN News (1999/09/21 22:29 GMT)
At least 75 people were killed, 289 were injured and hundreds missing Electric and telephone service was interrupted A tsunami warning issued immediately after the quake has now been lifted.

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Report/Articles
Geographycal Data Information
Emergency Relief Information
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: Japan

  • OCHA Situation Report No.3 1999/09/21
    The Chinese Red Cross Society made available a cash contribution of US $100,000.
    The Japanese JICA Team has already departed for the disaster site with 70 SAR experts and equipment. An additional 35 specialists will arrive on 22 September.
    A Singapore Civil Defence Force Overseas Contingent departed Singapore on 21 September at 17.00 hrs local time, ETA on 21 September. The Team consists of 39 SAR personnel, including 4 dogs, Medical Team, Rescue Team and Services Team.
    The United States dispatched a USAID/OFDA DART Team and Search and Rescue Team. The Team is made up of an advance party (ETA Taipei, 14.00 hrs, 22 September) and the SAR Team, totalling some 88 experts with specialized equipment (ETA 16.50 hrs, 22 September).
    A Russian EMERCOM Team departed Moscow on 21 September at 18.00 local time. The Team consists of 70 rescuers, 4 search dogs, 3 vehicles and specialized equipment to assist the population.
    Swiss, German and Austrian SAR Teams are departing in a joint flight from Zurich on 22 September at 07.00 hrs, ETA Taipei. The Swiss Disaster Relief Team is made up of some 40 SAR experts with 9 dogs, the Austrian AFDRU team consists of some 10 SAR experts and the German Technical Support Service (THW) Team made up of around 20 SAR experts. The plane is also carrying 10 tons of specialized search and rescue equipment.
    The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Japanese Red Cross sent today a team of eight people (two relief experts and a five-persons medical team from the Japanese Red Cross as well as an IFRC delegate from Beijing) to Taipei to assist the local Red Cross in responding to the earthquake.
    OCHA has dispatched a 6-member United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to assist, in coordination between country-level and International Search and Rescue Teams. The UNDAC team is scheduled to arrive in Taipei on 22 September at 19.35 hrs local time.
  • CNN News 1999/09/21 11:01 GMT
    Nantou County Executive appealed for donations of bulldozers, cars, quilts and food.
  • OCHA Situation Report No.2 1999/09/21
    The United States has dispatched a 70-person Search and Rescue team to Taiwan. The Government of Japan will send an emergency relief team, consisting of 30 experts. The Russian Federation, Switzerland and the UK have their teams on stand-by.
Urgent Report from Supporting Members of the Asian Disaster Reduction Center