TAIPEI, July 28 (Reuters) – Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said late on Tuesday it had begun gradually resuming operations at its Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM) plant in Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture after a strong earthquake prompted the precautionary evacuation of workers.
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the prefecture earlier on Tuesday.
The company said all personnel at the Japan site were confirmed safe after being evacuated in accordance with internal safety procedures.
“Post-earthquake structural inspections have been completed, confirming that the structures are safe and operations are gradually resuming. Detailed inspections and impact assessments are ongoing,” it said in an emailed statement.
JASM’s construction site was unaffected, TSMC said, adding that parts of the construction work had been suspended as a safety precaution because there could still be occasional aftershocks.
(Reporting by Wen-Yee Lee; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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