Apple provider Pegatron has advised its manufacturing unit staff to not report for work on Tuesday, halting the meeting of iPhone fashions for a second straight day at its south India manufacturing unit the place a fireplace broke out on Sunday, three sources advised Reuters.
The employees weren’t given a purpose for the directive, stated the sources who’ve direct information of the matter.
The Taiwanese agency had known as off all shifts on Monday on the manufacturing unit close to the town of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state after the fireplace incident, two supply stated.
Pegatron beforehand advised Reuters in an announcement on Monday “there was a spark incident” on the facility and is at present underneath management. The incident “doesn’t have vital monetary or operational affect” for the corporate, it added.
Whereas the power has a manufacturing capability of about 26,000 iPhone fashions per day, it has been assembling about 8,000-12,000 iPhone fashions per day in latest months, an trade supply stated.
Pegatron declined to touch upon the manufacturing estimate.
Apple didn’t reply to a request for remark.
A neighborhood official with the emergency responses division stated a number of hearth engines from varied stations needed to be introduced in to douse the fireplace, taking almost 5 hours.
“There are not any accidents, no casualties, nor injury to different property. The reason for (the) accident is at present underneath investigations by (the) related authority,” Pegatron stated.
A police official advised Reuters an inquiry was underway together with the fireplace division, describing it as a minor incident.
Native media reported late Monday the fireplace led to black smoke protecting the close by space, with footage exhibiting safety guards attempting to clear a crowd that had gathered close to the doorway of the power.
Pegatron accounts for 10 % of Apple’s iPhone manufacturing in India, based on analysis agency Counterpoint. It estimates Apple will promote greater than 9 million iPhone fashions in India this yr.
Apple has wager massive on India because it started iPhone meeting within the nation in 2017 by way of Wistron and later Foxconn, because the Indian authorities pushed for native manufacturing.
Pegatron, which began iPhone meeting in India in September final yr, can also be in talks to open a second Indian contract facility for Apple close to the present one in Tamil Nadu.
The incident is the newest downside to hit certainly one of Apple’s 14 suppliers in India.
Manufacturing was hit at a Foxconn facility in 2021 by meals poisoning amongst staff, whereas a Wistron plant in India was affected by employee unrest in 2020 over non-payment of wages. In February, a fireplace at a south Indian facility of Foxlink for iPhone charging cables pressured it to halt manufacturing.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
