Apple joins inquiry after three workers die at Tata iPhone parts plant in India

What happened in Hosur

Three contract workers died at a Tata Electronics factory in Hosur, in the Tamil Nadu region of India, while carrying out maintenance work, Reuters reports. The men were inspecting an external nano-filtration tank when they inhaled gas at the site.

The work involved an effluent treatment plant, a facility that cleans liquid waste before it leaves the factory. That plant is run by Nalco Water, a water treatment company operating at the Tata site. District official Dinesh Kumar gave the details of the deaths to the news agency.

Apple, Tata and authorities are investigating

According to Reuters, Apple is sending staff to the plant to help with the investigation that is under way. The company did not reply when journalists asked for comment.

Tata and the authorities in Tamil Nadu are also looking into the accident. Production at the site was not disrupted, because the factory was shut for the Hindu festival of Deepavali during the week of the deaths.

Why the plant matters to Apple

Tata plays a large role in Apple's supply chain in India. The company makes iPhone components and handles a significant share of iPhone assembly in the country.

India has become a central production hub as Apple spreads its manufacturing beyond China. Roughly a quarter of all iPhones worldwide are now built in the country, according to Reuters.

A site already under scrutiny

The same facility faced an environmental inquiry earlier this year. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board examined claims that wastewater from the plant had polluted water used on nearby farmland.

Tata said the regulator later dropped further action after the company dealt with the concerns. It also ordered separate testing, which it said showed the plant was operating within the rules.

The matter did not end there. Days after that statement, Reuters reported that local health officials were still looking into complaints from farmers in the area. No major developments in that inquiry had been reported since, until this week's fatal accident at the site.

What it means for workers and Apple's supply chain

The deaths put fresh attention on conditions in the factories behind Apple's Indian expansion. Because the workers were contractors at a supplier site, Apple's direct oversight of safety there will now be examined closely.

An Apple visit to the plant suggests the company is treating the incident seriously. It remains unclear what the joint investigations will conclude, and neither Apple nor Tata has published findings so far.