TSMC, other Apple suppliers in Taiwan largely unaffected by deadly 6.4 earthquake

Posted:
in General Discussion edited February 2016
A tragic earthquake has hit the city of Tainan in southern Taiwan, injuring 144, killing at least 5 people and causing the collapse of several large buildings. So far however, it appears that Apple's suppliers in the region have survived the quake without sustaining significant damage.


Source: TSMC, via SemiWiki


According to a report by Reuters, Apple's Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co chip fab reported minor damage to some silicon wafers, but stated that its Tainan facilities were structurally intact and that the firm would "be able to make up for the wafer losses and so first quarter shipments will not be affected."

Two other Apple suppliers reported their facilities were unaffected by the quake: Catcher, the manufacturer of metal cases for iPhones, iPads and MacBooks; and Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, which supplies components for Apple Watch and Touch ID fingerprint sensors for iPhones and iPads.

The quake comes at a particularly bad time for Taiwan, as the country is celebrating the Lunar New Year, a major holiday season where many travel to be with their families.


Source: Reuters


A report by the BBC noted that the shallow epicenter of the earthquake resulted in amplified, violent shaking, and that the initial tremor had been followed by a series of at least five aftershocks.

At least 220 people have been rescued from damaged buildings. Search efforts continue and shelters are being erected for those who lost their homes in Tainan, which has a population of 2 million.

A series of large apartment buildings have either collapsed or were left precariously leaning from the magnitude 6.4 quake, which reportedly shook the city for 40 minutes and could be felt in the northern city of Taipei, nearly 200 miles away.

Fifteen years ago, a 7.6 magnitude quake in the middle of Taiwan caused the death of more than 2,300 people. Last year, AppleInsider published a special Greater China report on Apple in Taiwan.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,063member
    Thank gods the corporate assets are all safe.
    Scottish_Claymorecnocbuianantksundaram
  • Reply 2 of 7
    freerangefreerange Posts: 1,597member
    We have many friends in Taiwan, our thoughts and prayers go out to them. Our first and foremost concern is for the people of Taiwan.
    cnocbuiminglok50anantksundaramai46
  • Reply 3 of 7
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    freerange said:
    We have many friends in Taiwan, our thoughts and prayers go out to them. Our first and foremost concern is for the people of Taiwan.
    Indeed. 
  • Reply 4 of 7
    eightzero said:
    Thank gods the corporate assets are all safe.
    Yep, don't want silly nuisances like earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, diseases and such to interfere with the supply chain for our toys... No sir...
    cnocbui
  • Reply 5 of 7
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    eightzero said:
    Thank gods the corporate assets are all safe.
    Yep, don't want silly nuisances like earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, diseases and such to interfere with the supply chain for our toys... No sir...
    False equivalence not required. I don't want people hurt and I don't want Apple supply chains damaged either.
    edited February 2016 suddenly newtonai46
  • Reply 6 of 7
    Yep, don't want silly nuisances like earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, diseases and such to interfere with the supply chain for our toys... No sir...
    False equivalence not required. I don't want people hurt and I don't want Apple supply chains damaged either.
    What 'false equivalence?' The headline was not only not false, there was no equivalence in it either: all it mentioned was Apple's suppliers being unaffected.

    You (and AI's copy editors, and people who upvoted you) were obviously OK with it. It so happens I thought it was insensitive, and actually, mildly offensive. In my mind, it was along the lines of "aside from that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" type of headline.
    edited February 2016 cnocbuironn
  • Reply 7 of 7
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    False equivalence not required. I don't want people hurt and I don't want Apple supply chains damaged either.
    What 'false equivalence?' The headline was not only not false, there was no equivalence in it either: all it mentioned was Apple's suppliers being unaffected.

    You (and AI's copy editors, and people who upvoted you) were obviously OK with it. It so happens I thought it was insensitive, and actually, mildly offensive. In my mind, it was along the lines of "aside from that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" type of headline.
    I was not referring to the headline.  I was referring to people making comments about it being tactless to report that no Apple supplier's buildings were damaged when people were hurt as if people being hurt elsewhere precludes news of anything else that isn't 'hurt'.  There is zero reason a report cannot say A happened but B didn't.  The false equivalence occurs when there is a linkage made between A and B.  To be 'mildly offended' indicates you saw linkage and were nearly OK with it but not totally ...  that seems odd to me.
    edited February 2016
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