Three contract workers died on Monday while carrying out maintenance work inside a wastewater treatment tank at a Tata Electronics factory near Hosur in Tamil Nadu. District officials suspect the workers inhaled toxic gas, although the exact cause of death will be established through post-mortem examinations.
The incident took place at the facility in Vanniyapuram near Uddanapalli, which manufactures components including back panels and precision-machined metal casings for Apple’s iPhones. A separate Tata facility within the same compound assembles finished iPhones.
According to the Krishnagiri district administration, the workers were part of a four-member maintenance crew. B Akmal reportedly collapsed after attempting to look inside a filtration tank. M Sarathikumar went in to check on him and also collapsed. P Kaveri then entered the tank, while the fourth worker raised the alarm.
All three were rescued and taken to a private hospital in Hosur, where they were declared dead.
Safety concerns under investigation
An official from the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health told The Indian Express that the crew did not have adequate safety measures in place for the work.
The official said Nalco Water, a unit of the US-based company Ecolab, operated the treatment plant and had subcontracted the work to another company that employed the workers.
The district administration has opened an inquiry, while Tata and Apple have also ordered investigations. The factory was already closed for the Diwali holiday when the accident occurred.
Previous incidents at the facility
The Hosur site plays an important role in Apple’s effort to expand iPhone manufacturing outside China. Its products include metal casings that serve as the structural frame for premium smartphones. India now accounts for approximately a quarter of global iPhone production, according to Reuters.
The facility has faced scrutiny before. A fire in a chemical storage area in September 2024 disrupted component production. At the time, the plant was the only Indian supplier of iPhone back panels to both Foxconn and Tata’s own assembly operations.
Earlier this year, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board also intervened over allegations that wastewater from the facility had contaminated nearby agricultural wells. Tata said it had addressed the regulator’s questions and that the board had dropped further action.
The latest incident has brought workplace safety at the manufacturing site under renewed scrutiny as investigations into the deaths continue.
Source: The Indian Express
