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An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands of homes, stopping rail services and triggering warnings for tsunamis and aftershocks.
Companies including Sony and TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, have plants in the area of the quake.
A Sony spokesperson said the company was checking the situation. TSMC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Japanese government issued emergency earthquake warnings for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki prefectures, all on Japan’s southern Kyushu island. A tsunami warning for a wave measuring one metre was issued after the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
