News
Limited damage from Chiayi earthquake
Transport officials assure that Lunar New Year travel won't be disrupted due to the magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Chiayi early Tuesday.
Deputy Minister of Transportation Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯) told media that all transportation systems, including rail services, are operating normally. Chen said initial inspections found only minor damage, such as broken glass in some Taiwan Railways offices. Therefore the upcoming 9-day Lunar New Year holiday travel schedule for public transport won't be affected.
Several residential buildings in Tainan's Nanxi District collapsed following the quake. According to the Tainan Fire Bureau, more than 10 houses in Nanxi District either collapsed and suffered serious damage as a result of the earthquake. Fire bureau officials say 11 people were rescued from six of the most seriously damaged houses and four of them sustained injuries and have been hospitalized.
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che visited those whose homes suffered serious damage at around 02:00 and said that warm clothing and hot meals are to be provided and his administration will provide all necessary assistance to those affected by the earthquake. Power outages were reported in nearly 7,000 households in Kaohsiung's Namasia District and several other areas - but Taipower says electricity was restored to all of the affected households within 30-minutes.
CWA Seismologists say that Tuesday's magnitude 6.4 earthquake originated in a location near where the Baihe earthquake struck Tainan in 1964. They cautioned everyone in Chiayi and Tainan to be careful of moderate-major earthquakes in the month ahead. CWA data showed the epicentre was located some 37.9 kilometres southeast of Chiayi County Hall at a depth of 9.7 kilometres. It was felt strongest in Dapu Township and marked the most intense tremor there in 61 years.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) says that all its facilities are operating normally with no reported structural issues or injuries among its employees. Tremors were felt with a maximum intensity of 5 at TSMC's Southern Taiwan Science Park facilities, intensity 4 at its Central Taiwan Science Park, and intensity 3 at its Hsinchu Science Park. TSMC said some personnel in the central and southern campuses were temporarily evacuated, with headcounts completed by 01:00 on Tuesday morning, confirming all staff were safe. Post-quake checks confirmed structural integrity at all sites, enabling gradual resumption of operations. Construction sites were unaffected and resumed work after safety checks. Essential utilities, including power, water, and safety systems, are also unaffected. TSMC is continuing to conduct inspections and impact assessments.
