The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.115).

TZU CHI 115 27 On September 21, 1999, Taiwan was struck by a magnitude-7.3 earthquake, causing widespread destruction and death across the island as it claimed over 2,000 lives and left more than 10,000 injured. Recollections of the monumental disaster weighed heavily on the collective memory, but risk losing their historical significance in the passage of time. Two decades later, accounts of the disaster have become nothing more than a cautionary tale to the younger generation of today. The earthquake that marked the turn of the century served as a crucial reminder that although humankind is powerless against the will of nature, we have the power to soften its blow through adequate knowledge on disaster prevention and the selfless deeds of those who dedicated themselves to rescue and relief efforts. Suffering and death prevailed, yet Tzu Chi volunteers were undeterred in their mission to bring relief to others through the harrowing ordeal.