Taiwan to hold plane crash and earthquake drills on Sept. 18

Taipei, Sept. 12 (CNA) Taiwan will hold separate plane crash and earthquake drills on Sept. 18 as part of a three-day national exercise to mark the annual National Disaster Prevention Day, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said Thursday.

More than 1,300 participants, including the public, central and local government officials, and Japanese NGO staff, will participate in the drills, according to an MOI statement.

The plane crash drill, simulating a plane crash following a typhoon, will take place in Taiwan's outlying Penghu County, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said.

Ferry "The Penghu" will transport firefighters and rescue vehicles to the island on the day, and an evacuation center and international rescue reception will be set up at Penghu Airport, Liu said.

She added that Air Force C-130H military transport aircraft and Coast Guard patrol ships will be deployed to Penghu. Peace Winds Japan, an NGO supporting people affected by humanitarian crises and disasters, will also participate in the exercise.

According to the MOI, this will be Taiwan's first large-scale offshore disaster relief drill.

Meanwhile, the earthquake drill on the same day will simulate a magnitude 7.3earthquake striking Chiayi County's Zhuqi Township -- 23.5 kilometers east of Chiayi County Hall -- resulting in numerous collapsed buildings and casualties, Liu said.

Earthquakes occur on faults, and the Chukou Fault, an active reverse fault, runs through Zhuqi.

According to Liu, the central government will collaborate with the Chiayi County and City governments to conduct tabletop exercises, establish disaster response centers, carry out search and rescue operations, test emergency communication systems, and evaluate search and rescue procedures.

In addition to the drills on Sept. 18, a text alert will be sent to people's mobile phones at 9:21 a.m. on Sept. 20 by the Central Weather Administration, along with an alarm sound. Liu said the message will warn people to "duck, take cover and hold still."

Sirens will also sound across the country at 10 a.m., warning people in coastal towns to be aware of a possible tsunami, Liu said.

From 10:59 a.m. to 11:01 a.m., all television channels will cut to the Public Television Service for a two-minute broadcast of disaster prevention information, according to Liu.

Taiwan began observing National Disaster Prevention Day on Sept. 21, 2000, one year after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed more than 2,400 people.

According to the MOI, National Disaster Prevention "Day" has evolved into the National Disaster Prevention "Month."

A series of disaster prevention activities, including nationwide and school earthquake evacuation drills, the establishment of disaster preparedness sections in stores, and expanded disaster prevention officer training for both the government and the public began on Sept. 1.