Unexploded 'corroded' bomb found at TSMC construction site in Taiwan

TAIPEI - A Taiwanese army unit on Nov 11 removed a “corroded” unexploded 227kg bomb from a construction site for a TSMC semiconductor plant in the island’s south, authorities said.

The “severely corroded” bomb was found at the Nanzih Technology Industrial Park in Kaohsiung where the Taiwanese chipmaking giant is building a new fabrication plant.

Construction workers were briefly evacuated from the site while the army bomb disposal unit recovered the bomb.

The appeared to be from an “early period” but its exact vintage could not be determined due to its “unclear serial number”, 8th Field Army spokeswoman Kung Chiung-yu told AFP.

The bomb was later taken to a secure storage facility where it will be destroyed, she said.

The area where the bomb was found had been used by the Japanese Navy as a fuel plant during World War II and it was later converted into a refinery, according to Taiwan’s Bureau of Cultural Heritage’s website.

“Regarding the findings from the excavation at TSMC’s Kaohsiung site this morning, we prioritise the safety of on-site personnel and will collaborate with the relevant authorities to adhere to the prescribed procedures,” TSMC said in a statement.

In August, a 454kg unexploded bomb was found in the same area, the army said previously. AFP