There was an explosion at a Foxconn manufacturing plant in Chengdu, China, on Friday, according to Chinese and Western news reports. The plant is used to build the Apple iPad and other products for Apple.
The explosion occurred about 7 p.m. local time, the reports said, and by late evening, a Foxconn spokesman, Qian Ding, had issued a statement saying that the fire had been brought under control. Mr. Ding told the BBC that the “reason for the explosion, as well as the financial cost and the number of injured, were still being investigated.”
The Guardian reported that at least two people had died and more than 10 people had been injured in the explosion. Several other news outlets have reported that as many as 16 people were injured. A video above shows the chaos right after the explosion occurred.
An Apple spokesman, Steve Dowling, said, “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.”
The technology blog M.I.C. Gadget, which chronicles the tech scene in China, linked to a number of local news videos and reports from people who were at the scene.
Foxconn came under international pressure after more than 13 of its factory workers committed suicide. Critics say the company’s employees are subjected to harsh working conditions, long hours and low pay.
Foxconn’s factories employ more than 400,000 workers making technology products for companies like Apple, Dell and Hewlett-Packard.
