7.0-magnitude earthquake jolts Taiwan, strong tremors felt in Taipei

Taiwan was hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake at 11:05 p.m. local time Saturday, according to a statement issued by the island’s Central Weather Administration.

The epicenter was off Taiwan’s northeastern coast, some 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) east of Yilan County, according to the agency’s preliminary reading based on the Richter scale. Heavy shaking was felt in the capital city Taipei, with the intensity level of 4 recorded.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said in a statement that staff at some TSMC campuses in the Hsinchu science park in northern Taiwan were evacuated as standard procedure for emergency responses.

TSMC makes its most cutting-edge chips in southern Taiwan. While it makes less advanced chips in Hsinchu, its research and development center is also there.

 

All power plants continue to operate normally, according to Taipower, though nearly 3,500 households in eastern Taiwan briefly lost power. Taiwanese authorities said major infrastructure including highways and high-speed rail were operating normally after the quake