Fire halts operations at Tata’s iPhone plant in India

HOSUR, India: At least 10 people received medical treatment, with two hospitalised, after a major fire on Saturday disrupted production at a key Tata Electronics plant in southern India which makes Apple iPhone components.

The incident is the latest to affect Apple’s iPhone supply chain just as the company is looking to diversify beyond China and sees India as a key growth market. It is also the latest in a string of incidents to affect Apple suppliers in India over the last few years.

The fire occurred at the plant in the city of Hosur in Tamil Nadu state which makes some iPhone components. It broke out near another building inside the Tata complex which will in coming months turn out complete iPhones.

The fire was contained to one building and has been extinguished fully, top district administrative official KM Sarayu said. No decision has been made on when manufacturing can restart, she said.

“Fumes are still coming since it’s a chemical hazard. It will take time for the search and rescue team to go inside and do an assessment. We have to wait till tomorrow,” she added.

Sarayu said that 523 workers were on shift when the fire broke out in the early morning and that all workers had been evacuated and accounted for.

Savitri, an eyewitness who lives near the plant and only gave her first name, said she heard “loud sounds around 5.30am (midnight GMT) that sounded like crackers going off. After that we just saw plumes of smoke from the building, and there was thick smoke till at least 10 in the morning.”

EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS

Tata Electronics is one of the major contract makers of iPhones in India, along with Foxconn. The company said it was investigating the cause of the fire and would take the necessary steps to safeguard employees and other stakeholders.

“Our emergency protocols at the plant ensured that all employees are safe,” a Tata Electronics spokesperson said.