Southern Taiwan hit by 6.4 magnitude quake, TSMC evacuates some factories


  • World
  • Tuesday, 21 Jan 2025

TAIPEI (Reuters) -A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous, rural area of Taiwan's south on Tuesday near the city of Chiayi, the island's weather administration said, with reports of minor damage.

Chipmaker TSMC said it had evacuated staff at its factories in central and southern Taiwan, and they were all safe.

The quake shook buildings in the capital, Taipei. The quake had a depth of 9.4 km (6 miles) with its epicentre in Dapu township in Chiayi county, and hit shortly after midnight, the weather administration said.

The fire department said a handful of people were trapped in damaged buildings in the city of Tainan, and some had already been rescued.

The Chiayi fire department also said there were no reports of major casualties so far in the city, while an official in Dapu, who gave his family name as Chi, told Reuters power cuts were reported in some villages and some buildings were damaged.

The Dapu fire department told Reuters there were no "obvious signs of disaster".

The science park in Tainan, home to major factories including of TSMC, said buildings were evacuated.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. In 1906, the Meishan earthquake near Chiayi killed more than 1,200 people.

Taiwan's last major earthquake was in April, a 7.2 magnitude temblor that hit the east coast county of Hualien, killing 13 people.

More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016 and a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee and Wen-Yee Lee. Editing by Christina Fincher, Mark Potter and Barbara Lewis)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

Kremlin adopts cryptic stance on contacts between Putin and Trump
South Korea prosecutors indict 63 over courthouse rampage by Yoon supporters
Kosovo's ruling party set to win election but lose majority
AI app offers a lifeline for South Africa’s abused women
Police in India pull the plug on British singer Ed Sheeran's impromptu street concert
Asil Nadir, Polly Peck business tycoon turned fugitive, dies aged 83
Russia yet to receive satisfactory proposals to start talks on Ukraine, RIA reports
Government chiefs and tech leaders gather in Paris for AI summit
An ankle monitor? No, that’s my Apple Watch.
Nicaragua blasts Vatican after exiled bishop's TV appearance

Others Also Read