TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te on Friday (Sept. 20) underscored the critical importance of crisis prevention as Taiwan faces a range of emerging threats.
Lai made his remarks during a visit to Sianghe Elementary School (祥和國小) in Chiayi County, where he inspected preparedness drills as the nation prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 21 Earthquake, also known as the 1999 Jiji Earthquake.
Referencing the Hualien earthquake earlier this year, the president said, “The world saw Taiwan’s resilience in the disaster relief process, and this is the achievement accumulated from the drill.”
At 9:21 a.m., the Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象署) issued a Presidential Alert (國家級警報) nationwide, simulating a major earthquake.
Using the Cell Broadcast System (CBS), the CWA sent real-time alerts to mobile phones, urging citizens to participate in the evacuation exercises. From 10:59 a.m. to 11:01 a.m., all TV channels switched to the Public Television Service feed (PTS, 公共電視台) to broadcast disaster prevention information.
The simulated drills included a 7.3-magnitude earthquake in Zhuqi Township (竹崎鄉), Chiayi County, with a depth of 7.9 kilometers and a maximum intensity of 7. The second scenario simulated a 7.5-magnitude earthquake in Taiwan’s southwestern sea, triggering a tsunami.
Authorities highlighted that the 1999 Jiji Earthquake had a profound impact on Taiwan, leading to significant advancements in disaster prevention technologies and practices. The CWA stressed that the annual drill tests disaster response systems and aims to raise public awareness about preparedness.