Kara Swisher

Recent Posts by Kara Swisher

Third Foxconn Worker Dies Due to Explosion, Apparently Caused by “Combustible Dust”

A third worker has died from an explosion at a Foxconn plant in China that makes Apple products, the contract manufacturer said on Sunday.

The company said it is still investigating the blast, but said initial findings suggest “that the accident was caused by an explosion of combustible dust in a duct.”

Foxconn said it has halted production at that plant and similar plants pending the investigation. The facility is believed to make Apple’s iPad.

Statement from Foxconn Technology Group

Update on the Tragic Accident at Foxconn Technology Group’s Hongfujin Precision Electronics (Chengdu) Co. Facility

Foxconn can confirm that, sadly, a third employee has died from injuries from the May 20 explosion at one of the polishing workshops at our company’s Hongfujin Precision Electronics (Chengdu) Co. Ltd. facility in Chengdu.

Fifteen other employees were injured in that accident and six of those employees have been treated and released from the hospital. Foxconn is working with medical professionals and the local government to ensure that all of the injured employees receive the highest quality medical treatment. Our condolences go out to the families of the deceased employees and they are being given the full support of the company. Our thoughts are also with the injured employees and their families who are also being given the full support of our company at this very difficult time.

The cause of this tragic accident is still being investigated by a joint investigation task force led by government officials and law enforcement authorities, but that task force has communicated initial findings that the accident was caused by an explosion of combustible dust in a duct. Foxconn is cooperating fully with all relevant government bodies to carry out a full investigation into the specific root cause of the accident and the company is taking all necessary actions to ensure the safety of employees at this and all other production facilities.

All operations at the affected workshop remain suspended and production at all other workshops that carry out similar processing functions have also been halted pending the results of the investigation into the cause of the Chengdu accident. All other production operations in our facilities in China continue operating normally.

Foxconn Technology Group will provide updates on this tragic accident as information becomes available.

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