921 earthquake
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| Date | September 21, 1999 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 7.6 Mw / 7.3 Ms |
| Depth: | 8.0 km (5.0 mi) |
| Epicenter location: | 23°46′19″N 120°58′55″E / 23.772°N 120.982°E |
| Countries/ regions affected |
 Taiwan |
| Casualties: | 2,416 killed 11,441+ injured |
Jiji earthquake (traditional Chinese: 集集大地震; pinyin: jíjí dàdìzhèn), also known as the 921 earthquake (traditional Chinese: 九二一大地震) occurred at 1:47:15.9 CST (17:47:15.9 UTC) on September 21, 1999 in Chichi, Nantou, Taiwan and measured 7.6 on the Richter scale. Its epicentre was at 23.85° N latitude, 120.82° E longitude, 9.2 km (5.7 mi) southwest of the Sun Moon Lake. The depth was 8.0 km (5.0 mi).
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[edit] Extent of damage
Damage caused by the earthquake (According to the National Fire Agency, Ministry of the Interior R.O.C):
- 2,416 deaths (including missing people)
- 11,443 severely wounded
- 44,338 houses completely destroyed
- 41,336 houses severely damaged
- NT$300 billion (US$9.2 billion) worth of damage
The earthquake continued to shake Taiwan throughout the night. The quake was a great catastrophe for Taiwan with many families losing loved ones.
[edit] Chelungpu fault
The epicenter of the earthquake was Jiji Township. The 921 Earthquake occurred along the Chelongpu Fault(車籠埔斷層) in the western part of the island of Taiwan. The fault stretches along the foothills of the Central Mountains in Nantou and Taichung counties. Some sections of land near the fault were raised as much as 7 m (23 ft). Near Dongshih, near the northern end of the fault, a 7 m tall waterfall was created by the earthquake. Throughout the middle-western part of the island, bridges were destroyed, cutting off traffic for weeks. A well-known anecdote tells of an undestroyed house sliding from one county to another during the quake, forcing the change of the owner's address.
In Wufong, a village in southern Taichung County, the damage was especially devastating; the village's Guangfu Junior High School lay directly on the fault line and was severely damaged by the quake. Today the junior high school is the site of the National Museum of Natural Science's 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan.
[edit] Gallery
 Collapsed Wuchang Temple in Chichi |
 Heavily-damaged Guangfu Elementary School in Wufong |
[edit] See also
- earthquake
- List of earthquakes
- List of deadly earthquakes since 1900
- John Walker, Chi-Chi earthquake benefit concerts
- Chichi, Nantou
- Taiwan
