Following the tragic explosion at Foxconn’s Chengdu plant on Friday, the corporate has now confirmed to All Things Digital the death of a 3rd employee, with nine remaining in hospital. While investigation remains ongoing, initial findings are pointing at “an explosion of combustible dust in a duct” at probably the most polishing workshops, which supports earlier rumors of dust explosion; though there is not any confirmation on what caused the ignition just yet.
In related news: two weeks before the fatal accident, watchdog group SACOM released a report at the welfare of workers on the new Chengdu plant. Amongst the uncovering of management issues, excessive working hours, and unsafe environment, PC World highlights complaints from workers concerning the great amount of aluminum dust — that is highly explosive — floating across the polishing department, thus suggesting an absence of proper dust extraction methods inside the facility. Foxconn has previously slammed this report, however the outcome of this explosion’s investigation should once and for all prove who’s telling the fact. For now, though, the concern is to ensure the victims and their families are handled.
Full statement from Foxconn after the break.
Update at the Tragic Accident at Foxconn Technology Group’s Hongfujin Precision Electronics (Chengdu) Co. Facility
Foxconn can confirm that, sadly, a 3rd employee has died from injuries from the May 20 explosion at some of the polishing workshops at our company’s Hongfujin Precision Electronics (Chengdu) Co. Ltd. facility in Chengdu.
Fifteen other employees were injured in that accident and 6 of these employees has been treated and released from the hospital. Foxconn is operating with doctors and the local government in order for all the injured employees receive the very best quality medical treatment. Our condolences exit to the families of the deceased employees and they’re being given the total support of the corporate. Our thoughts also are with the injured employees and their families who’re also being given the entire support of our company at this very difficult time.
The reason for this tragic accident remains to be being investigated by a joint investigation task force led by government officials and law enforcement authorities, but that task force has communicated initial findings that the accident was attributable to an explosion of combustible dust in a duct. Foxconn is cooperating fully with all relevant government bodies to hold out an entire investigation into the explicit root reason behind the accident and the corporate is taking all necessary actions to make sure the security of employees at this and all other production facilities.
All operations on the affected workshop remain suspended and production in any respect other workshops that perform similar processing functions have also been halted pending the result of the investigation into the reason for the Chengdu accident. All other production operations in our facilities in China continue operating normally.
Foxconn Technology Group will provide updates in this tragic accident as information becomes available.
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