More than 50 aftershocks have been recorded, said Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration which reported the initial quake at magnitude 6.4.
The ceilings of several homes collapsed, while roads were blocked by falling rocks and landslides, the National Fire Agency said.
But the agency reported “no major damage” from the quake, which injured 27 people according to the health ministry.
The aftermath saw classes and office work cancelled in Nanxi district as well as Dapu Township in mountainous Chiayi County, north of the epicentre.
Some roads in Dapu were “damaged and impassable”, and water and electricity supplies were affected, Chiayi County chief Weng Chang-liang said.
Chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) said on Tuesday that all its sites were operating following an overnight earthquake.
The dominant maker of advanced chips and a major supplier to companies including Apple and Nvidia said it had evacuated workers at some sites in central and southern Taiwan as a precaution after the quake, which hit shortly past midnight on Tuesday.
“Post-earthquake structural inspections have been completed at all sites, confirming that the structures are safe and operations are gradually resuming,” it said in an emailed statement.
“Currently, the water supply, power, and workplace safety systems are functioning normally and all TSMC’s sites are operating. Detailed inspections and impact assessments are ongoing.”
TSMC’s construction sites were unaffected and they have continued regular operations following environmental safety checks, it added.
