Second Earthquake Affects Two Sony Fabs

Reuters reports that Sony extends production halts on Saturday after a second 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck a key manufacturing hub in southern Japan. The image sensor plant in Kumamoto on the southern island of Kyushu had been already shut after an initial 6.5 magnitude quake rocked the region on Thursday.

Sony says that operations at its image sensor plant in Nagasaki, also in Kyushu, will be partially suspended too. Sony is assessing damage at the two plants and does not yet have a timeline for resuming operations.

"We are still checking for potential damage to the plants, which usually operate on a 24-hour basis," a Sony spokesman told Reuters. "We do not yet know how the closures will impact supply to customers like Apple."

Sony Nagasaki Technology Center (left) and
Kumamoto Technology Center (right)

Update: Another Reuters report quotes Sony spokesperson saying “We are not expecting any immediate supply disruption as we have some inventories right now. We will make an announcement promptly if any supply issues emerge.” He said the company was hoping to resume operations as soon as aftershocks end, and would probably provide an update on late Monday afternoon. "We are still checking for potential damage to the plants, which usually operate on a 24-hour basis," he said.

Apple could not be immediately reached for comment. Samsung says it has diversified its sources for image sensors used in its smartphones and the quakes will have no impact on its flagship products.

Update #2: Reuters: Sony on Sunday said production at its image sensor plant in Kumamoto, southern Japan, remained suspended as it assessed damage from a powerful earthquake. Operations at its image sensor plants in Nagasaki and Oita, also on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, fully resumed, the company said. The Kumamoto plant has been offline since Friday, while operations at the Nagasaki and Oita plants were partially suspended on Saturday.