May 30, 2002 – Taipei, Taiwan – An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale shook parts of Taiwan on Thursday, the central weather bureau said, though there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake was centered on the opposite side of the island from Hsinchu, the heart of Taiwan’s key semiconductor industry, and major chipmakers reported no impact to their manufacturing equipment or work in progress.

“We only felt it a little bit. There is no problem at all,” said Jesse Chou, a PR official for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

An official of United Microelectronics Corp. also said there was no effect on the company’s manufacturing, reported Reuters.

The quake struck at 2:53 p.m. local time, shaking buildings in the capital, Taipei, a weather bureau spokeswoman said. It was centered about 24 km (15 miles) off the coast of the northeastern county of Ilan.

The National Fire Administration’s disaster response center said it had received no reports of damage or casualties.