Strong quake hits Taiwan, chip plants evacuated

Its flagship firm Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company — the world's largest contract chipmaker — said following the quake that it had moved some staff out of its production centres. The company, a major supplier of chips to Apple and Nvidia, is still assessing the impact. All of its staff are safe, a spokeswoman said. "To ensure the safety of personnel, some fabs were evacuated according to company procedure. We are currently confirming the details of the impact," the company said. United Microelectronics said it evacuated some facilities in Hsinchu and Tainan, cities on the western side of Taiwan. The company…