Three workers die at Tata iPhone parts plant in India

Three contract workers died after breathing gas while inspecting an outside nano-filtration tank at the Tata Electronics plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, 9to5Mac reported on Tuesday, citing Reuters. The factory makes iPhone components. The deaths occurred late Monday, November 9, local time, according to GIGAZINE.

Reuters learned from two people familiar with the matter that the investigation will include Apple, Tata Electronics, and the Tamil Nadu state government, according to GIGAZINE. Apple's team is visiting the plant to help with the investigation, 9to5Mac reported. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

According to Bhaskar English, the workers were cleaning a nano-filtration feed tank at the plant in Vanniyapuram, near Udanapalli in Krishnagiri district. Krishnagiri Collector C. Dinesh Kumar said B. Akmal, 28, looked into the tank first and passed out after breathing toxic gas. P. Kaveri, 32, asked M. Sarthikumar, 25, to check on him; Sarthikumar also lost consciousness, and Kaveri then entered and collapsed. A fourth team member called for help. The three were declared dead at a private hospital in Hosur. All three lived in Dharmapuri district.

Collector Dinesh Kumar said safety protocols were not properly followed during the maintenance work. The district administration has opened an inquiry. Police said preliminary investigation indicated the likely cause was inhalation of poisonous gas, with final confirmation after post-mortem reports. The bodies were sent to Government Krishnagiri MCH for post-mortem examinations. Bhaskar English reported that after the incident, several officials visited the site: the district collector, C. Dinesh Kumar; Denkanikottai tahsildar V. Shanmugam; Denkanikottai DSP Anantharaj; and Saravanan, the directorate's joint director for industrial safety and health.

Nalco Water said it takes the incident very seriously and is working with local authorities on an investigation, according to GIGAZINE. GIGAZINE reported that the three workers were employed by a firm subcontracted by Nalco Water. Industry sources cited by GIGAZINE said output was unaffected because the plant was shut for the Deepavali festival.

GIGAZINE also reported that Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Virudhai Maghal Keerthana wrote on X that "the safety and dignity of all workers must be the top priority" and that the tragedy will be thoroughly investigated.

The Hosur plant is part of an Indian manufacturing base that now accounts for roughly a quarter of iPhones made worldwide, according to GIGAZINE. Tata handles about 40 percent of iPhone assembly in India, while Foxconn handles about 60 percent. Apple has shifted more iPhone manufacturing to India since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to GIGAZINE, the iPhone 15, released in September 2023, included Indian-made units on launch day and drew attention for that reason.

The same facility faced water pollution allegations earlier in 2026. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board investigated claims that wastewater from the plant contaminated nearby farmland, and Tata later said the regulator dropped further action after the company addressed the concerns, 9to5Mac reported. In September 2024, a fire at a Tata Electronics chemical plant sent 11 people to a private hospital in Hosur with suffocation and other health issues, Bhaskar English reported.