TSMC “still assessing” chipmaking facilities after 7.4-magnitude quake hits Taiwan

Enlarge / TSMC's headquarters, seen here, are in Hsinchu, Taiwan. (credit: Sam Yeh via Getty Images)

Chipmaking operations at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) were briefly paused today following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan, according to a company statement provided to Bloomberg and others.

TSMC says that workers were evacuated as part of its earthquake safety protocols and that they have already returned to work. Bloomberg reports that the company is still "examining impact" to its operations, but it "expects to resume production overnight."

The quake's epicenter was on Taiwain's east coast and has prompted tsunami warnings in Japan, China, and the Philippines, according to The New York Times. The quake was followed by a long series of over 200 aftershocks, including one 6.5-magnitude aftershock. It's the strongest earthquake to affect Taiwan since the 7.7-magnitude Jiji earthquake in 1999. As of this writing, the NYT reports that at least nine people have died and 1,011 have reported injuries.