Delhi Delhi. Indian authorities are going to start a forensic investigation into the cause of the fire that broke out at the Tata Electronics factory on Saturday, a Tamil Nadu official said on Sunday. This factory makes components for Apple iPhone. Sunday is the weekly holiday in this factory. The factory is unlikely to get permission from the state to resume production until Monday, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
Tata Electronics or Apple did not respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours. Tata Electronics had earlier said it was investigating the cause and would take steps to protect employees and other stakeholders.
The incident is the latest in recent years to affect Apple's suppliers in India, where the US firm has been diversifying its supply chain beyond China and what it sees as a growth market. A fire official told Reuters that the fire at the plant in Hosur city broke out in an area used to store chemicals.
District Administrative Officer K.M. Saryu said the fire has been “completely extinguished” and smoke has stopped. He said that two employees admitted to the hospital are likely to be discharged on Sunday. “Now we can investigate,” Saryu said. He said a forensic team has been sent from state capital Chennai. It was unclear whether the fire affected nearby buildings, one of which is scheduled to begin assembling iPhones by the end of the year.
Comments are closed.