Massive Fire In Apple Cable Supplier Factory in Andhra Pradesh
On 27th February 2023, at around 1.15 pm a massive fire broke out at a factory manufacturing iPhone cables.
Foxlink, a Taiwanese company is the manufacturer and supplier of cable to global tech giant Apple for its iPhones. Foxlink has a manufacturing unit in India’s Andhra Pradesh which they set up in 2020. On 27th February 2023, at around 1.15 pm a massive fire broke out at the factory. No loss of life was reported in the incident. Nearly 750 people working at the facility managed to get out soon after the fire broke out. According to the police, due to fibre, sheets and sponge stocked at the facility, the fire spread swiftly, engulfing the entire facility. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), added that the timely arrival of fire brigades at the spot ensured that the fire remained confined to one shed and did not spread to the other two that house the dining area and kitchens. Management has conveyed that they estimate a loss of roughly 100 crores from the incident. Only the fire extinguishers were working. Other safety systems such as smoke detectors, sprinklers and fire hydrants were faulty. The smoke detector was not activated and fire alarms didn't go off so there was a slower response in containing the fire. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Foxlink said that it is working hard to resume production following a fire at a plant that halted operations at the maker of iPhone charging cables. As the plant, equipment and inventory are covered by insurance, the fire has not yet had a significant impact on the company's finances and business, the company added. It is being reported that some of the area would resume work next week while full operations might not be able to resume for two months.
Meanwhile on 1st March 2023, a warehouse collapsed after catching fire in Delhi's Roshanara Road, narrowly missing some 100 firefighters who were standing in front of the building. A mobile video of the incident shows the firemen standing near the three-storey structure before it suddenly collapsed. 3 firefighters sustained minor injuries. The fire broke out at 11.50 am on the ground floor of the building and spread to the 3 floors. There were offices and warehouses in the building. The fire department sent at least 18 trucks to control the blaze.