An explosion at a Foxconn factory in China, which manufacturers Apple iPads at the site, resulted in two people killed and sixteen injured. Both Foxconn and Apple issued short statements regarding the incident.
As cNet reports, the explosion occured Friday night near the southwestern China facility killing two people and injuring sixteen. Apple iPads were being manufactured on-site and have since been halted.
Foxconn issued a short statement reassuring that the situation was under control:
We can confirm that at approximately 7 p.m. on May 20, there was an explosion at our Chengdu campus. At this point, we can also confirm that there were two fatalities with injuries to 16 other employees. We are working with medical officials to provide treatment to the injured employees and we are working with government and law enforcement officials to contact the families of all employees affected by this tragedy. The situation has been brought under control by the fire department and the cause of this explosion is being investigated by local police officials. Foxconn is cooperating fully with that investigation. Production has been suspended at the site of the explosion until the completion of the investigation. The safety of our employees is our highest priority and we will do whatever is required to determine and address the cause of this tragic accident.
Apple also issued a statement regarding the incident. “We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at Foxconn’s plant in Chengdu, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We are working closely with Foxconn to understand what caused this terrible event.”
It is unknown what caused the explosion although reports are saying that it was caused by a “super-light dust explosion.” Some reports are saying that there were lightning strikes and problems with the ventilation system in the building which could have been a factor in the explosion. Foxconn has been under fire lately due to its harsh working conditions that have resulted in several employee suicides.
