Taipei: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC) subsidiary, Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc. (JASM), located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, evacuated its employees after a powerful earthquake struck the region Tuesday afternoon, according to the company.

According to Focus Taiwan, TSMC announced that the evacuation was executed following its emergency response procedures after the earthquake met its evacuation criteria. The company emphasized that ensuring the safety of its employees was the primary concern during the emergency.

The evacuation process involved all personnel inside and outside the facility, and efforts were being made to account for everyone, TSMC stated. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.1, occurred at 4:27 p.m. local time and reached a maximum intensity of 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, as reported by Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK).

NHK noted that Kikuyo Town, the location of the JASM fabrication plant, experienced a seismic intensity of upper 5. Authorities were in the process of assessing the impact of the earthquake, while the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for the affected coastal areas.

President Lai Ching-te extended his condolences in a Japanese-language post on X, representing the people of Taiwan, and expressed prayers for the safety of those affected. Lai highlighted the strong friendship between Taiwan and Japan, stating that Taiwan is prepared to offer assistance if necessary.