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2,100-plus dead following Taiwan earthquake Fear and trembling As rescue workers plunged into their third major earthquake in a month, onlookers wondered again at the earth's frequent trembling. A Sept. 21 quake in Taiwan left more than 2,100 people dead. That toll, together with 139 dead from a Sept. 7 earthquake in Athens, Greece, and 15,600 dead from the Aug. 17 quake in Turkey, makes 1999 an exceptionally deadly earthquake year. Seismologists insist that the recent major quakes do not signify new activity below ground. Their data show that big earthquakes are not striking more often than usual, just in more vulnerable places. Scientists record an average of 18 major quakes per year, but most hit either deep beneath the earth's surface or out at sea. These quakes were particularly shallow, and struck heavily populated areas while most people were inside, asleep. The statistics are little comfort, however, to Taiwan residents. Rescue workers rode swaying buildings as more than 4,000 aftershocks rocked Taiwan's quake zone. Cell phones proved again to be emergency workers' most durable tool, summoning medical teams, heavy equipment, and rescuers on a moment's notice, while electricity and phone lines remained down all week in most of the area. As the death toll climbed above 2,100, there was brief good news when officials reduced the number of those listed as trapped beneath the rubble from about 2,000 to 400, as more people were accounted for. Many had been cut off in remote areas but were believed to be out of danger. The injured list swelled, meanwhile, to nearly 8,000. Earthquakes along Taiwan's eastern coast are relatively frequent, but this one struck the west coast, where the population is more dense. The earthquake, registering 7.6 on the Richter scale, was the strongest recorded in Taiwan and more intense than the 7.4 quake that devastated Turkey in August. Experts said there were fewer casualties in Taiwan because of greater adherence to building codes. Survivors face a multitude of structural challenges, however. Electrical fires burned beneath hotel rubble, creating a dangerous oven for rescue workers and those trapped inside. Heat and high humidity reduce chances for longer-term survival of those who might be buried alive. Major aftershocks create new fears and more damage and hamper rescuers tunneling beneath the rubble. One measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, centered just east of Sun Moon Lake Reservoir, one of Taiwan's largest waterworks. Workers found large cracks in the lake's dam and began lowering the water level as a precaution against further ruptures. Homes downstream from the dam-reservoir complex, including two villages in already damaged Yunlin County, were evacuated. Mudslides along Tsaoling Mountain in Yunlin County, a popular tourist area, were also reported, but with no information about possible casualties. In Turkey, tension is mounting as relief efforts stall and frustration with government ineffectiveness spreads in cities suffering quake damage. Homeless Adapazari residents staged street protests over the lack of tents and the poor quality of what has been issued by the government. Ankara officials, in reply, have clamped down on private relief efforts, demanding that fundraising accounts set up to receive aid be funneled through the government. They also insist that incoming supplies be turned over to the Red Crescent, the largest humanitarian organization in the region and the Islamic counterpart to the Red Cross. Some Christian relief workers are running into trouble. After providing full-time aid in quake areas for three weeks, Zekai Tanyar and members of his 20-year-old Protestant congregation in Izmir faced their own shake-up at home. On Sept. 12, Turkish police, accompanied by the crew of a private television channel, disrupted the worship services at Izmir Fellowship, arresting 40 adults and claiming that the church, which has owned its current property since 1994, was operating illegally. The group was held for 24 hours and released after the prosecutor's office threw out the charges. On Sept. 20 church leaders were granted a 25-minute appointment with Turkish Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan in Ankara to discuss the raid. Mr. Tantan agreed to investigate the case, but the Izmir church building remains sealed off by local police. Mr. Tanyar said the episode stung in light of efforts on behalf of quake victims. "We are extremely sorry and offended to be treated as though we are not citizens of this country," he said. The No-Comment Zone