Apple, Tata to probe deaths of three workers at iPhone parts factory in Tamil Nadu: What we know so far

A day after three contract workers were killed at Tata Electronics’ iPhone components factory in Tamil Nadu, Apple has reportedly sent a team to investigate the deaths.

The deaths, which occurred late on Monday, will be investigated by Apple, Tata and the state authorities, state officials and two industry sources with direct knowledge told Reuters.

Three workers die at Tata's iPhone factory: What we know so far

Three contract workers died during water tank maintenance work at the Tata Electronics factory that makes parts for Apple iPhones in Tamil Nadu on Monday.

What led to their death? The three contract workers died during maintenance work on an effluent treatment plant operated by Nalco Water at the Tata facility, which is located in Hosur in Tamil Nadu, district official Dinesh Kumar said.

He added that the deaths occurred when the workers inhaled gas while inspecting an external nano-filtration tank.

“Three worker deaths at Tata Apple Iphone parts factory occurred due to asphyxiation,” a source told Reuters.

Workers hired by sub-contractors: Nalco Water, which is part of US-headquartered Ecolab, said in a statement, according to Reuters, that the three workers were engaged by one of its sub-contractors and that the incident occurred in a utility facility it operates.

The company said it was working with local authorities in the investigation. "We take this incident extremely seriously," Nalco Water said.

Probe launched: "Tamil Nadu minister Virudhai Magal Keerthana said in a post on X that the worker deaths will be "thoroughly investigated and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings."

There has been no impact on production as the facility was closed for the Hindu festival of Deepavali this week, the two industry sources told Reuters, adding that Tata and Apple will both investigate the incident.

“Tata will investigate the deaths at its iphone parts factory, teams were on site overnight,” the source said on Tuesday, a day after the incident.

Meanwhile, Apple's team is visiting the plant to assist in the ongoing investigation, one of the sources said.

The salt-to-aviation Tata Group's electronics unit accounts for roughly 40 percebnt of iPhone assembly and Foxconn makes up the rest in India.

Tata has in recent months faced many challenges as its iPhone-making operations have been hit by a ransomware attack and concerns of water pollution.

Over the years, as Apple expanded manufacturing beyond China, India has emerged as a key hub which now accounts for roughly 25% of the world's iPhones.

The three contract workers died during maintenance work on an effluent treatment plant at the facility which is located in Hosur in Tamil Nadu, district official Dinesh Kumar said.

The effluent treatment plant was operated by Nalco Water, which is part of U.S.-headquartered Ecolab, he said, adding that the deaths occurred when the workers inhaled gas while inspecting an external nano-filtration tank.

Tata Electronics, Apple and Nalco Water did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Tamil Nadu is a key industrial hub in India, hosting factories of many global giants like Foxconn, Hyundai, VinFast and BMW.

Tata's Hosur site has faced repeated setbacks: a fire halted production at the components plant in 2024, and state authorities warned of a shutdown over alleged groundwater contamination this year before dropping the matter.

Separately, a ransomware breach at an adjacent iPhone plant, located in the same compound, leaked documents linked to Apple's then-unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, Reuters has reported.

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