Taiwan proves its quake drill is best in the world
When a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan's scenic and largely rural east coast county of Hualien on Wednesday, local official Chang Tung-yao knew exactly what to do, having experienced a similar temblor six years before.
Within two hours of the quake, which struck just before 8am as people were getting ready for work, Chang said an emergency shelter was arranged at a nearby school where more than 130 residents ended up spending the night.
"Joined-up contact with government departments was key," Chang, a neighbourhood chief, the lowest level of elected official in Taiwan, told Reuters.
Since the 2018 earthquake of magnitude 6.4, in which seven people died, Chang said local authorities have strengthened coordination with government units and non-governmental organisations for disaster response and relief.
This time, county officials and police along with other units who helped evacuate residents in affected areas of downtown Hualien city worked together to clear one of the damaged buildings before it could collapse in any aftershocks.
"Everyone is doing their job. The county government and the local administrative office worked together to minimise the damage as much as possible," Chang said.
“Taiwan's earthquake preparedness is among the most advanced in the world,” Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, told The Associated Press. “The island has implemented strict building codes, a worldclass seismological network, and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety.”
The government continually revises the level of quake resistance required of new and existing buildings — which may increase construction costs — and offers subsidies to residents willing to check their buildings' quake resistance.
Following a 2016 quake in Tainan, on the island's southwestern coast, five people involved in the construction of a 17-storey highrise apartment building that was the only major structure to have collapsed, killing dozens, were found guilty of negligence and given prison sentences.
Taiwan also is pushing quake drills at schools and workplaces while public media and cellphones regularly carry notices about earthquakes and safety. “These measures have significantly enhanced Taiwan's resilience to earthquakes, helping to mitigate the potential for catastrophic damage and loss of life,” Gao said.
Taiwan and its surrounding waters have registered about 2,000 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 or greater since 1980, and more than 100 earthquakes with a magnitude above 5.5, according to the USGS.
The island's worst quake in recent years struck on September 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7.
It caused 2,400 deaths, injured around 100,000 and destroyed thousands of buildings.
The last deadly quake to strike Hualien County occurred in 2018, collapsing a historic hotel and other buildings. “This high level of seismic activity will unfortunately continue for millions of years to come,” said Gao. “This underscores the importance of preparedness and resilience in the face of ongoing seismic risks.”
Why is it so prone to earthquakes?
Taiwan is no stranger to earthquakes, being located near the junction of two tectonic plates, and many are concentrated along the picturesque, mainly rural and sparsely populated east coast. The region is also a major draw for tourists with its rugged mountains, hot spring resorts and tranquil farms.
More than 100 people were killed in an earthquake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.
That 1999 quake, commonly referred to as the "921 quake" as it hit on September 21, was a spur for the government to revise building codes and strengthen disaster management laws.
September 21 is now a designated day for Taiwan-wide disaster drills and on this day mock alert messages for disasters such as earthquake and tsunami are sent to people's mobile phones, and schools around the island stage evacuation drills.
Yet Tai Yun-fa, a structural engineer who runs Taiwan's Alfa Safe that develops quake-resistant building materials, said that while a tightening of building codes had helped better prepare the island for disaster, some developers were still cutting corners.
"The focus when it comes to development is still the lowest price, so in that case you can't have the best quality."
Learning the lessons
In Hualien, Donna Wu, deputy director of the county branch of The Mustard Seed Mission, a Christian group, said the response in 2018 had been chaotic and they had learned their lesson.
"Everyone was doing the same thing. Tasks were not coordinated," she said. "This time, each group has different tasks."
Taiwan has another compelling reason to ready its response — the potential for attack from China, which has been ramping up military and political pressure to try and force Taiwan's democratically-elected government to give in to Beijing's sovereignty claims.
The earthquake alert system, with its piercing alarm sounding on mobile phones, is the same one the government would use to warn of an impending Chinese air raid.
Taiwan holds its Min'an civil defence drills annually, nominally to focus on natural disasters, though last year it also covered how to respond to the aftermath of a Chinese attack as part of those exercises.
Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs, which only began operating in 2022 and has been leading the charge to ensure the resilience of communication networks, reported largely unaffected networks after the latest quake, especially internet services.
Taiwanese cities and counties have rescuers on stand-by 24 hours a day, ready to respond almost at a moment's notice to disasters.