Taiwan's second-deadliest recorded earthquake killed over 2,400 people and influenced the outcome of the 2000 presidential election.
Key Facts
- Magnitude
- 7.3 ML / 7.7 Mw
- Deaths
- 2,415 people
- Injured
- 11,305 people
- Homeless
- over 100,000 people
- Economic damage
- NT$300 billion
- Local time of strike
- 01:47:12, September 21, 1999
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Taiwan sits on a tectonically active zone where the Philippine Sea Plate converges with the Eurasian Plate, creating conditions for major seismic events. On September 21, 1999, this geological stress released in Nantou County, producing a powerful shallow earthquake centered near the town of Jiji.
A magnitude 7.3 ML (7.7 Mw) earthquake struck Jiji, Nantou County, Taiwan at 01:47 local time, killing 2,415 people, injuring 11,305, and rendering more than 100,000 homeless. Rescue teams from Taiwan and abroad worked alongside the military to extract survivors, clear debris, and restore essential services across the affected region.
The disaster caused NT$300 billion in damage and deeply affected Taiwan's economy and public consciousness. Government criticism over the relief response was cited as a factor in the Kuomintang's defeat in the 2000 presidential election. Taiwan enacted the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act in 2000 and designated September 21 as National Disaster Prevention Day, with annual drills held nationwide.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 2,415 (earthquake)