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Aftershocks Continue in Taiwan
TAIWAN (September 30, 1999) - Rebuilding following the massive September 21 earthquake will be an enormous challenge, according to David Dolan, coordinator for Chinese Ministries for World Mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Dolans were in Taipei when the earthquake struck.
The earthquake measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, making it the worst earthquake to strike the island in more than a decade. Most of the death and injury occurred near the quake's epicenter some 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Taipei, in the area of Puli outside Taichung. That area includes the counties of Nantou and Taichung.
"They tell us there have been more than 7,000 aftershocks since the original quake last Monday night, although only 30-40 are strong enough to be felt," Dolan said. "Sunday morning we had another strong one measuring 6.8 at the epicenter near Puli, strong enough to cause more damage in the central part of the island," he added. Dolan noted aftershocks measured slightly more than 2.0 in Taipei.
"I had the opportunity to travel with two of our pastors into the areas outside of Fengyuan that suffered quite a bit of damage," Dolan said. "We visited the Hsinshih and Dungshih churches and talked with their pastors. Thankfully, the structures of their buildings were not as seriously damaged as we had first heard," Dolan reported.
Not all areas were so fortunate, however. "I wasn't really prepared for the devastation we saw in both of those areas," Dolan said. "Many buildings crumbled into a pile. Others sank a floor or two, while still others seemed to have just dropped and crushed the first floor."
Dolan reported seeing twin 14-story apartment buildings in Dungshih that sank four stories into the ground before tipping over. "I can't imagine the effort it's going to take to first clean up those concrete and steel buildings, and then rebuild," Dolan said, noting that electricity is being rationed throughout most of Taipei during the next three-week period until necessary repairs can be completed.
Covenant churches in the area have become strategic centers for relief work, Dolan said. "Our Taiwan churches have raised over $30,000 (U.S.) already, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to what needs to be done," the coordinator said. "The Hsinshih church that I mentioned previously suffered quite a bit of interior damage and has been condemned - they decided the building was too badly damaged," Dolan said. "Our churches continue to send teams into the most needy areas. Pray for these co-workers as they brave treacherous roads on their missions of mercy."
Those interested in supporting Covenant assistance efforts for Taiwanese victims may do so by sending gifts to Covenant World Relief, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60625, designating gifts for Taiwan Earthquake Relief.
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