CHITTOOR, India - Most of the fire safety equipment was not functional at Apple supplier Foxlink’s facility in southern India, which has halted production due to a massive fire incident, a top government official told Reuters.

Except for fire extinguishers, safety systems such as smoke detectors, sprinklers and fire hydrants were in faulty condition at the Andhra Pradesh factory, leading to a slower response in containing the fire, said Mr J Ramanaiah, who leads the regional Fire Services Department.

Apple and Foxlink did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Foxlink, which makes charging cables for iPhones, is unlikely to resume full operations for two months after Monday’s fire incident, raising concerns of supply chain disruptions for the iPhone maker, a source told Reuters on Tuesday.

A part of the Foxlink building had collapsed to the ground due to the fire. There were no casualties.

The incident is the latest problem to hit Apple suppliers in India, from where it is increasingly ramping up manufacturing and exports. Apple has 11 suppliers in the country.

In 2021, production was hit at a facility of Apple contract manufacturer Foxconn due to food poisoning among workers, and in 2020, a Wistron India plant was hit by worker unrest over non-payment of wages.

Reuters visited the Foxlink site on Tuesday where a part of the building was completely charred and where residue smoke was still coming out from some parts.

Many workers gathered outside the facility, with some anxious about the status of their contract jobs. They told Reuters the fire broke out during lunch break on Monday, and some air conditioners exploded as the fire spread.

“The fire became uncontrollable,” one worker said, declining to be named.

Foxlink management is currently reviewing the situation and expects to have a clearer picture of the impact on the business over the next two days, a source said.

A police official told Reuters on Monday there was an estimated loss of US$12 million (S$16.19 million) at the factory.

Employees said the Foxlink factory makes charging cables used in iPhones, but it was not immediately clear if Apple has other suppliers for the cables in India.

Cupertino, California-based Apple has bet big on India since it began assembling iPhones in the country in 2017 via Wistron and later with Foxconn, in line with the Indian government’s push for local manufacturing. REUTERS