13 confirmed dead after Kumamoto quake rattles Japan chipmaking hub

TSMC evacuates workers and suspends some construction as authorities assess damage A building collapsed due to the earthquake in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto prefecture, shown on the morning of July 29. (Photo by Yo Inoue) TOKYO — Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday that 13 people had been confirmed dead following an earthquake in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto the previous day. Speaking to reporters at the prime minister's office, Takaichi said that as of 8:30 a.m., authorities had also confirmed widespread damage, including casualties, collapsed buildings, fires and damaged roads. The earthquake struck around 4:27 p.m. on Tuesday at a depth of about 16 kilometers, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. It registered the maximum intensity of 7 on Japan's seismic scale in the city of Uki and the town of Hikawa. Shaking of such intensity can tilt or topple buildings with low seismic resistance. The prefecture is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s production hub on the island of Kyushu. The seismic intensity reached upper-5 in Kikuyo, the site of TSMC's chip factory.

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