CHENNAI, Nov. 10 -- Three contract workers died after allegedly inhaling toxic gas while carrying out maintenance work at a wastewater treatment facility inside a Tata Electronics plant near Hosur in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district on Monday evening, officials said.
The incident occurred at the company's facility in Vanniyapuram near Uddanapalli, which manufactures precision-engineered components, including metal casings and back panels, for Apple's iPhones. The district administration has ordered an investigation into the deaths, while Apple and Tata are also examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The deceased were identified as B Akmal, 28, of Thinnur village in Panchapalli, M Sarathikumar, 25, of Belrampatti near Palacode, and P Kaveri, 32, of Hanumanthapuram. All three belonged to Dharmapuri district.
According to Krishnagiri Collector C Dinesh Kumar, the workers were part of a four-member maintenance team engaged in cleaning and inspecting a nano-filtration tank at the factory's effluent treatment plant.
Preliminary inquiries indicated that Akmal was the first to collapse after attempting to inspect the inside of the tank. Sarathikumar subsequently went to check on him but also lost consciousness. Kaveri then entered the tank to help his colleagues and collapsed.
The fourth member of the team, who witnessed the incident, raised an alarm and sought assistance. All three unconscious workers were subsequently pulled out and rushed to a private hospital in Hosur, where doctors declared them brought dead.
Officials suspect that exposure to toxic gases inside the tank caused the deaths. However, police said the precise cause would be established only after post-mortem examinations and the completion of the investigation.
The bodies were transferred to the Government Medical College Hospital in Krishnagiri for post-mortem examinations.
District authorities have raised concerns about the safety arrangements in place during the maintenance operation. Collector Kumar said preliminary findings suggested that adequate precautions had not been taken while handling the effluent treatment facility.
A senior official from the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health also indicated that the workers lacked appropriate safety protection for the task they were performing.
The wastewater treatment facility was operated by Nalco Water, a subsidiary of US-based Ecolab. Officials said Nalco had engaged another company through a subcontract, which employed the three deceased workers.
The district administration is examining the responsibilities of the companies involved, including whether prescribed safety procedures were followed before the workers undertook maintenance inside the tank.
Collector Kumar, Denkanikottai Tahsildar V Shanmugam, Deputy Superintendent of Police Anantharaj and officials from the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health visited the factory following the incident.
Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Virudhai Magal Keerthana expressed grief over the deaths and assured that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
In a social media statement, the minister emphasised that worker safety and dignity must remain paramount and said appropriate action would be taken based on the findings.
The minister also directed the district administration to extend necessary assistance to the families of the deceased workers.
Apple and Tata have initiated investigations into the incident, according to reports. Tata Electronics and Nalco Water had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
The factory was closed for the Deepavali holidays when the accident occurred, and the incident did not affect production, according to industry sources.
The Hosur facility occupies an important position in Apple's expanding manufacturing operations in India. It produces components used in iPhones, including precision-machined metal casings that require specialised manufacturing processes.
A separate Tata Electronics facility within the same industrial compound assembles finished iPhones.
India has emerged as a major manufacturing destination for Apple as the US technology company seeks to diversify its supply chain beyond China. The country now accounts for approximately a quarter of global iPhone production, according to Reuters.
Tata Electronics has become one of Apple's principal manufacturing partners in India, accounting for roughly 40 per cent of domestic iPhone assembly, while Foxconn handles much of the remaining production.
The latest deaths have brought renewed attention to safety and operational concerns at the Hosur manufacturing complex, which has experienced several disruptions in recent years.
In September 2024, a fire broke out in a chemical storage area at the Tata Electronics facility, disrupting component production for several days. Several workers suffered breathing difficulties and other health complications following that incident.
Earlier this year, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board raised concerns over allegations that wastewater from the plant had contaminated wells in nearby agricultural areas.
Tata maintained that independent testing showed compliance with regulatory requirements and subsequently said the pollution control board had accepted its explanations and dropped further action.
The company's operations in Hosur also faced a cybersecurity incident this year after a ransomware attack reportedly exposed sensitive documents linked to its iPhone manufacturing operations.
The deaths of the three contract workers have now prompted fresh scrutiny of industrial safety arrangements, particularly the precautions required during maintenance of wastewater treatment systems where hazardous gases may accumulate.
Authorities are expected to examine the workers' training, protective equipment, supervision and compliance with safety procedures as part of the investigation.
Police said further action would depend on the findings of the post-mortem examinations and the inquiries being conducted by the district administration and industrial safety authorities.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.