| UTC time | ?? |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 7.1 MGR |
| Depth | 12 kilometres (7 mi) |
| Epicenter | 23°24′N 120°29′E / 23.40°N 120.48°E |
| Areas affected | Taiwan |
| Casualties | 358 dead 733 injured |
The 1941 Zhongpu earthquake (Chinese: 1941年中埔地震; pinyin: 1941 nián Zhōngpǔ Dìzhèn) was a magnitude 7.1 earthquake which occurred on December 17, 1941 and was centred on the town of Zhongpu, Taiwan. It was the fourth-deadliest earthquake of the twentieth century in Taiwan, claiming 358 lives.
Technical data
editThe earthquake struck at 03:19 local time on December 17, 1941. At a magnitude of 7.1 and with a focal depth of 12 kilometres (7 mi), the quake was felt throughout the island. The epicentre was in Zhongpu Township, Jiayi County, just southeast of Jiayi City, and was close to the location of the 1906 Meishan earthquake, which hit in the neighbouring township of Meishan.
Damage
editAccording to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau, the casualties and damage were as follows:
- Deaths: 358
- Injuries: 733
- Houses destroyed: 4,520
- Houses damaged: 11, 086
The quake also triggered a landslide on Caoling Mountain (Chinese: 草嶺山; pinyin: Cǎolǐng Shān) which dammed the river and created the temporary Qingshui Lake (Chinese: 清水湖; pinyin: Qīngshuǐ Hú) in the valley below.[1] This lake has formed and drained several times over the last two hundred years in response to earthquakes and typhoons. Damage was sustained to infrastructure, with gas, electricity and transportation networks being seriously disrupted.[2]
Reaction
editTaiwan was a Japanese colony at the time of the earthquake. Coming as it did just ten days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, false rumours abounded that the earthquake was caused by retaliatory United States bombing.[2]
References
edit- ^ "What do the effects of the crustal deformation look like in Taiwan?". Central Weather Bureau.
- ^ a b "The historical impact of earthquake damage on Taiwan society and culture". Taiwan Journal. Retrieved 2009-07-21.