Two major incidents in two years hit Chennai's Apple iPhone assembly facilities

A fire accident that took place Sunday night at the Pegatron facility near Chennai, which assembles Apple's iPhone 14Plus and 15Plus models, has led to the halting of production. It is the second major incident to hit the plant in two years.

Situated in Mahindra World City in Chengalpattu district, almost 60 kilometres from Chennai, the factory is owned by Taiwan's Pegatron, the second largest contract manufacturer of Apple iPhones. 

Such incidents raise questions about the working conditions, and safety standards at these facilities and whether the requisite government and internal inspections are being carried out meticulously.

The personnel at these factories are involved in manufacturing the most coveted symbol of pocket-sized luxury - Apple iPhones, which are priced at almost $1000 apiece. 

WION has learnt that the fire at the facility was put out a few hours after the incident was reported.

Videos of the incident showed ambulances and fire tenders on site and smoke billowing from the building that housed the facility. It is unclear how many persons were within the facility or whether production was underway when the incident took place. However, it is said that there is no loss of life as a result of this fire. 

Personnel working at Pegatron told WION that there are more than 9,000 of them involved in iPhone assembly at the Chengalpattu factory near Chennai and that production activity had not been carried out on Monday. At the time of writing, it is unclear whether the personnel resumed work on Tuesday. It is understood that the factory works round-the-clock from Monday to Saturday and they have a holiday on Sundays. The 24-hour workday is split into three shifts- A (6am-2pm), B (2pm-10pm) and C (10pm-6am). 

In December 2021, more than 150 women workers at the Foxconn facility in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu had fallen ill after consuming the meals provided at the staff dormitory. Back then, the women had risen in protest and blocked a crucial national highway. The issue was later taken up by the Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn, Apple and the Tamil Nadu Government. WION had visited and reported from the dorm rooms where the women workers had stayed.

In December 2021, in light of the issues connected with the Foxconn facility, Apple placed its iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn’s Chennai unit on probation over cleanliness and hygiene issues at their staff dormitory and dining areas. Later, after an audit and corrective measures by Foxconn and the intervention of the Tamil Nadu Government, the factory resumed its production activities in January 2022.

Amid geopolitical tensions with China, American tech giants, including Apple have been looking to move more of their assembly facilities to India and southern Indian states have been taking the lead in luring the investors, predominantly Taiwanese contract manufacturers. Apple also pins great hope on the young and aspirational Indian customer who wants to flaunt tech luxury. In line with this, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited India earlier this year and also opened Apple-owned retail outlets in Mumbai and Delhi. Both of these outlets are said to be doing brisk business. WION has sought the response of Apple in connection with the latest fire accident. The report will be updated when the response is received or further developments emerge.

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