• This forum is for posting news stories or links from rumor sites. When you start a thread, please include a link to the site you're referencing.

    THIS IS NOT A FORUM TO ASK "WHAT IF?" TYPE QUESTIONS.

    THIS IS NOT A FORUM FOR ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO USE YOUR MAC OR SOFTWARE.

    This is a NEWS and RUMORS forum as the name implies. If your thread is neither of those things, then please find the appropriate forum to ask your question.

    If you don't have a link to a news story, do not post the thread here.

    If you don't follow these rules, then your post may be deleted.

Fire and Explosion at iPad2 Plant?

RavingMac

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
8,303
Reaction score
242
Points
63
Location
In Denial
Your Mac's Specs
16Gb Mac Mini 2018, 15" MacBook Pro 2012 1 TB SSD
TUAW is reporting this.

Via MacRumors and MICgadget, there are reports coming in of a substantial fire and possible explosion at a Foxconn plant that is said to be dedicated primarily to iPad 2 production.

MICgadget has several video clips of the scene, including smoke billowing from a building, people evacuating and reports of multiple fire engines responding to the emergency. There are reports of some injuries and speculation that the fire/explosion was caused by airborne dust.

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/20/foxconn-chengdu-plant-fire-possible-explosion/
 
Joined
Mar 17, 2009
Messages
3,626
Reaction score
111
Points
63
Your Mac's Specs
2018 15" MBP, 2019 11" iPad Pro, iPhone 11 Pro
Sina Tech is reporting 2 deaths, 16 injured, 3 in critical condition.
Possibly caused by lightning causing a "dust explosion". Scary stuff. Hope all of the survivors recover and the facility isn't damaged too badly.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
216
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
providence r.i.
Your Mac's Specs
soon to be another iMac owner
i heard about the explosion this afternoon..

didn't know anyone lost their lives..sucks
 
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I wonder how much (if any) this will disrupt their supply chain. We probably won't see/feel the effects here stateside for a week or two, but I wouldn't be surprised to see even further shortages coming up by early June.
 
Joined
Mar 22, 2011
Messages
72
Reaction score
2
Points
8
Your Mac's Specs
3/11 17" MBP 8g/500 Glossy, IPod Touch 4thgen 8gig, 32Gig Verizon 3G + WiFi IPadII
Apple really needs to look at multiple production sites. They have been backed up by the Japan earthquake for some time and now this, plus they were having trouble anyway.

I wonder if it would kill them to build one American plant they could have more control over.

One comes to think of Chinese labor as sweatshop labor and I do quiver to think that my recent MBP was assembled in one. They still have to pass Apples QC but from what I've heard, I feel sorry for the workers.
 
Joined
Mar 22, 2011
Messages
72
Reaction score
2
Points
8
Your Mac's Specs
3/11 17" MBP 8g/500 Glossy, IPod Touch 4thgen 8gig, 32Gig Verizon 3G + WiFi IPadII
Another thing absolutely appalling to me:

"Foxconn is the world's largest maker of computer components and produces items for Apple, Sony and Nokia. It employs about one million workers in China."


A MILLION jobs...and that's at their sweatshop conditions. If the workers were given a more human workload they'd probably need more people. There's cheap though, and there's brrutally cheap.

Imagine those jobs in America...its high tech, why aren't we doing this? Even at lesser labor rates these jobs would fill in GA, TN, NC, someplace out west in the mountain time zone.

I think a million jobs moves the UI stats by 1%.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2008
Messages
542
Reaction score
25
Points
28
The reason we don't build these things in America is simple: reasonable wages, medical and other various benefits, safety standards, environmental regulations, taxes, and more. In short, it's expensive to build in America.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top