A fire that broke out at Pegatron India facility on September 24, responsible for assembling iPhones, has been linked to an alleged lapse on the part of its workers. According to sources familiar with the matter, the fire was a result of a short circuit, occurring a day after an electric switch was inadvertently left on at the end of the workers’ shift, as reported by news agency Reuters.
Pegatron, in a statement, confirmed that production at the Chennai plant has resumed as of today, but the incident cost the company two consecutive days of lost production. This facility is the sole site for iPhone assembly in India, and production gradually resumed on September 27, according to government sources.
While Pegatron has not yet issued an official statement regarding the workers’ alleged failure, the company did notify the Taiwan stock exchange on September 26, stating that “a small switchboard experienced an accident” at the factory.
According to individuals briefed on the incident, including a senior Tamil Nadu government source and an industry insider, here is how events unfolded on September 24:
Workers at the Pegatron plant typically charge iPhone components up to a 50% battery level at charging racks after assembling about 70 iPhone parts. This is done before the installation of software. However, on September 23, a switch on one of these racks was unintentionally left on after the end of the shifts, leading to overheating and eventually sparking a foam sheet used to protect new mobile phones against scratches.
The subsequent day, which was a holiday, had only a few maintenance workers on duty, and the fire could have been contained more effectively with a larger workforce present, as noted by the government source.
One source with direct knowledge of the smartphone industry mentioned that the charging racks at the Pegatron plant are typically turned off after three Saturday shifts, which conclude early on Sundays.
In response to a call received around 8:50 p.m. on Sunday, firemen worked to extinguish the flames. Television footage showed black smoke billowing from the facility.
The fire resulted in damage to some machines, as confirmed by the government source and another anonymous source with direct knowledge. While the government official estimated that around six machines were affected, the specific type of machines was not disclosed.
Pegatron issued a statement on September 25, reassuring that there were no injuries in the fire, describing it as a “spark incident.” The cause of the incident is under investigation, with the company asserting that it had no significant impact on its finances and operations.
The Pegatron facility in Chengalpattu, spanning 39,000 square meters (420,000 square feet), employs approximately 8,000 people and produces 5 million phones annually. It accounts for 10% of Apple’s production in India, with the majority produced by Foxconn facilities in South India.
