News Tamil Nadu

Two Big Fire Accidents At Chennai’s Major Manufacturing Units Raises Concerns About Industrial Safety, Muted Response From DMK Govt

September 29, 2023
The Commune

Over the course of three days, two separate fire incidents have impacted major manufacturing facilities in the southern Indian metropolis of Chennai, causing concerns about safety and the potential implications for the region’s industrial ambitions.

The Affected Facilities

The incidents occurred at the Apple iPhone assembly unit operated by Taiwanese company Pegatron and the Japanese firm Yazaki, which specializes in automobile wirings. Both facilities are located approximately 60 kilometers from Chennai, in Tamil Nadu’s Chengalpattu district. These incidents were unrelated but shared a common cause – suspected electric short circuits.

Yazaki Fire Accident

The fire at the Yazaki factory began around 8:30 pm on a Wednesday night and raged for two hours before firefighters managed to extinguish it. The blaze was severe, as depicted in videos from the scene, but fortunately, all personnel on duty escaped unharmed. The Yazaki fire is believed to have caused more operational and financial damage.

Pegatron Incident

The Pegatron fire occurred on a Sunday night, which happened to be the factory’s weekly holiday. It was extinguished after a few hours, but the company had to temporarily halt its iPhone assembly operations until Thursday. Pegatron intends to gradually resume production on a limited scale for the iPhone 14Plus models. However, it’s uncertain when production for the latest 15Plus model will resume. While Pegatron officially downplayed the impact, some high-tech equipment in the iPhone 15Plus assembly line was reportedly damaged.

Safety Concerns

These successive accidents have raised several questions about safety standards in Tamil Nadu’s industrial sector. Questions include whether these industries are adequately prepared to handle such incidents, whether government authorities conduct thorough safety inspections, and whether the factory personnel are adequately trained to respond promptly to emergencies. There are also concerns about whether factories supplying global corporations compromise on safety while operating in India.

Government Response

Despite the seriousness of these incidents and the potential impact on the state’s economic goals, the Tamil Nadu government has not issued a public statement or reacted to the accidents. This lack of response is worrisome, considering the state’s aspirations to attract investors and achieve a $1 trillion state economy by 2030. Frequent industrial accidents could undermine these ambitions and the state’s economic potential.

In December 2021, another incident near Chennai involved over 150 workers falling ill due to food poisoning at a Foxconn facility assembling iPhones. The subsequent protests led Apple to place the factory on probation, and corrective actions were taken after government inspections, highlighting the importance of safety in the region’s industrial operations.

(With inputs from Wion News)

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