Taipei, July 29 -- Contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) confirmed that all its employees were safe and its Japanese plant remained structurally intact following a 7.1-magnitude earthquake, Focus Taiwan reported.

In a statement, the company said an inspection confirmed that the fab operated by TSMC-led joint venture Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc. (JASM) was unscathed, with operations gradually being restored.

JASM will conduct further inspections of the facility to assess the earthquake's impact, but has not indicated when the fab is expected to return to full normal operations, Focus Taiwan reported.

"The earthquake struck Kumamoto at 4:27 p.m. local time Tuesday and registered a maximum int...