An unexploded World War II (WWII) bomb has been discovered at Nanzih Technology Industrial Park in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where TSMC is currently constructing three chip fabs.

According to local media reports, a contractor found the bomb on the morning of November 11 while excavating land for the chipmaker’s P3 fab.

The Kaohsiung City Government, the Ministry of National Defense, and other relevant authorities were notified of the finding and the bomb was immediately dismantled and taken away by the military. Construction at the site has since resumed.

In a statement to DCD, TSMC said: "Regarding the suspected unexploded ordnance discovered during excavation at TSMC's Kaohsiung site in the morning of Nov. 11, the relevant authorities have examined it and determined there are no safety concerns. The object has been removed, and construction at the site is ongoing and remains on schedule."

This is reportedly the second time undetonated explosives have been found at the site. In August, an unexploded bomb thought to have been dropped by the Japanese navy during the Second World War was discovered on the land where TSMC’s P1 and P2 fabs are being constructed.

The land Nanzih Technology Industrial Park sits on land that previously housed an oil refiner, meaning it was likely a prime target for US bombers during WWII.

Earlier this year, TSMC was forced to halt construction work at its CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate) advanced semiconductor packaging plant in Chiayi Science Park, also in Taiwan, after suspected archaeological ruins were discovered at the site.