New Delhi–Sony Semiconductor Solutions said Wednesday that operations at its Kumamoto Technology Center remain suspended following a powerful earthquake in Japan as the company assesses possible damage to the facility and its manufacturing equipment.
Production at Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation’s plant in Kikuyo was halted immediately after the earthquake struck at 4:27 p.m. local time Tuesday.
Sony said inspections of the Kumamoto plant’s buildings and production lines are continuing. The company did not provide a timeline for restarting operations.
No significant damage was reported at Sony’s technology centers in Nagasaki, Oita and Kagoshima, and no employees at the facilities were injured, according to the company.
The shutdown followed a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in the Kumamoto region that killed 13 people, according to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
“Even now, there are people waiting to be rescued, and this is a race against time. We will marshal all available resources on the ground to save and rescue as many people as possible,” Takaichi told reporters.
Rescue crews continued searching for people trapped beneath collapsed buildings as authorities assessed damage across the affected area.
Sony Semiconductor Solutions is a major supplier of image sensors and other semiconductor components used in consumer electronics, vehicles and industrial equipment.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed solidarity with Japan following the earthquake.
“Deeply concerned at the news of the earthquake that struck Kumamoto prefecture in Japan. Express our solidarity and support to the Government and people of Japan as they respond to it. Pray for the safety and recovery of those affected by the earthquake,” Jaishankar wrote on X. (Source: IANS)
