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Operations halted at Apple supplier Foxlink’s facility in Tirupati after massive fire; workers given a month off

Nearly 800 people working at the facility in Jinkalamitta village managed to get out soon after the fire broke out.

Published Feb 28, 2023 | 12:57 PM ⚊UpdatedFeb 28, 2023 | 1:38 PM

Fire broke out at Foxlink facility in Andhra Pradesh. (Screengrab)

A massive fire broke out at one of the state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities of Foxlink — a cable supplier to global tech giant Apple — in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, temporarily disrupting production.

However, there was no loss of life in the incident that occurred on Monday, 28 February.

Renigunta Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) A Ramachandra said the fire broke out at the Foxlink facility, where cables are manufactured for Apple, around 1.15 pm.

“Around 800 people were working in the company, and the fire occurred at the ceiling of the main shed, immediately security tried to put out the flame, but due to sheets of foam and nylon which were kept there, the fire spread immediately,” Ramachandra told South First.

“All the people who were working were evacuated immediately due to which no causality or harm happened to the workers. After 15 minutes firefighters came and the fire was extinguished within an hour,” he added

While the Revenue Department has put the loss in the fire at about ₹50 crore, the company has estimated a loss of around ₹200 crore, according to the DSP.

Production was stopped at the site and workers have been given a month’s holiday. The company is clearly noting down the loss estimation and will give the complaint accordingly.

“We are waiting for the formal complaint to ascertain whether it was a short circuit, accidental or anything else, and accordingly we will investigate the case,” said the DSP.

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Largest shed was charred

The timely arrival of firefighters at the spot ensured that the blaze remained confined to one shed and did not spread to the other two that house the dining area and kitchens, Ramachandra said.

“The largest shed among the three was charred, while the other two were safe. The largest shed is where all the production takes place,” he said.

Pictures of the manufacturing facility shared by police showed thick plumes of smoke billowing from the shed.

Established in 1986, Foxlink designs, makes and sells cable assemblies, connectors, power management devices and battery packs to several global tech behemoths.

It is headquartered in Taipei with over 15 design, manufacturing and sales sites across the world.

Two of those are in India. Apart from the facility near the Tirupati airport in Andhra Pradesh, Foxlink has another in Noida in Uttar Pradesh, just across the border from the national capital New Delhi.

(With PTI inputs)