President Lai describes Taiwan as 'important Asia Pacific rescue team'

Taichung, Sept. 21 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said that Taiwan has become an "important disaster rescue team" in the Asia-Pacific region and is capable of helping countries in need, as he attended an event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the "921 earthquake."

Lai made the remarks during his visit to the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan in Taichung, as the country marked the 25th anniversary of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,400 people on Sept. 21, 1999.

The magnitude 7.3-quake, whose epicenter was located in Jiji, Nantou County, also left tens of thousands of people injured.

Right after the devastating incident, several countries around the world, including South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Germany, Canada and the United States, sent teams to Taiwan to help with rescue efforts, Lai said.

Over the past 25 years, the Taiwanese people have exhibited their perseverance to recover from this trauma, remain humble in the face of nature, and continue to learn and improve measures in order to reduce the impact of such natural disasters, he added.

According to Lai, since the 921 earthquake, Taiwan has improved the seismic safety standards of buildings and boosted the earthquake warning system.

The country also began observing National Disaster Prevention Day on Sept. 21, 2000, with drills held every year to promote public awareness of disaster prevention.

In the past, Taiwan received a lot of international help, but now it is capable of helping others, Lai said, noting that not only are Taiwanese search and rescue teams highly qualified, they also have 53 rescue canines accredited with international certifications.

While there, the president also toured the museum, which sits on the site of the former Guangfu Junior High School which was heavily damaged during the earthquake.

Earlier in the day, Taichung City government also held an event at the museum hosted by Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) to mark the rescue of a 6-year-old boy from a collapsed apartment building 25 years ago.

Chang Ching-hung (張景閎) was trapped in the rubble for 86 hours after the initial temblor, and was subsequently rescued by a team of rescuers from South Korea.

However, both his parents and two younger sisters died in the earthquake.

Chang, now 31-years-old, attended the event to thank all the people involved in rescue and relief work in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake.