Three contract workers died after suffocating inside a wastewater treatment tank at a Tata Electronics factory in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, which makes components for Apple iPhones, police said on Tuesday, according to PTI.
The incident took place on Monday evening at a utility facility operated by Nalco Water, an Ecolab company, inside the Tata Electronics premises. Police said the workers were desilting an effluent treatment plant storage tank when they were exposed to poisonous fumes and severe oxygen depletion.
The deceased were identified as Kaveri of Hosur, and B Akmal and M Sarathi Kumar, both from Dharmapuri district.
How it unfolded
According to the police account, Akmal looked into the tank to inspect it and collapsed immediately after inhaling the gas. Kaveri then asked Sarathi Kumar to check on Akmal, but he fainted after entering. Kaveri then went in himself and succumbed to the toxic atmosphere moments later.
A fourth crew member who witnessed the events alerted staff nearby. Rescuers pulled out all three men and took them to a private hospital in Hosur, where doctors declared them dead on arrival. The bodies were later sent to the Government Medical College Hospital in Krishnagiri for post-mortem examination.
Official response
Krishnagiri district collector C Dinesh Kumar, who visited the site to inspect safety protocols, confirmed that asphyxiation during sludge removal was the primary cause of death, PTI reported. He said a comprehensive inquiry had been launched into the breach of safety regulations at the plant.
Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Virudhai Magal Keerthana said in a post on X that the incident would be thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken based on the findings. She said she had spoken to the district administration and directed it to support the affected families and address the situation urgently.
“The safety and dignity of every worker must remain paramount,” the minister said, adding that every necessary measure must be put in place to prevent such tragedies from recurring.
Company statements
Nalco Water said the deceased were engaged by one of its sub-contractors and that it is working with local authorities in the investigation. In a statement, the company expressed condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those affected and said its first priority was to support the families. It said safety is a core value for Ecolab and that it takes the incident extremely seriously.
There was no official statement from Tata Electronics or Apple so far, though Apple is learnt to be looking into the incident, PTI reported.
Apple now makes roughly one in four of its iPhones in India, per PTI. The company recently reported all-time high revenue in India for the September quarter.