Foxlink, an Apple supplier, has stopped production at its assembly plant in Andhra Pradesh, India, due to a massive fire that caused part of the building to collapse on Monday, according to two local government officials who spoke to Reuters.
Foxlink, a subsidiary of Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co Ltd, is responsible for making cables for iPhone chargers and established a factory in Andhra in 2020.
The fire, which occurred in the afternoon, resulted in approximately 50% of the factory’s machinery being damaged, as reported by J Ramanaiah, head of the Fire Services Department for Tirupati district in the state.
The impact on business was not immediately clear, and the cause of the incident remains unknown. Apple and Foxlink have not yet provided any official comments in response to the situation.
The fire is now under control, and thankfully, there were no casualties, according to Ramanaiah. He shared photos and videos with Reuters showing the factory engulfed in flames, with charred machinery and firefighters working to extinguish the blaze, which produced large plumes of smoke.
Ramanaiah also mentioned that management estimated a loss of roughly 1 billion rupees ($12 million) as a result of the incident.
Apple, based in Cupertino, California, has made significant investments in India by starting to assemble iPhones in the country in 2017 through Wistron and thereafter with others, aligning with the Indian government’s initiative for local manufacturing. Foxlink is one of several supplier partners Apple has in India.
