Following a massive fire that broke out at one of its manufacturing facilities near Renigunta airport in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh on Monday, February 28, Foxlink, a cable supplier to the huge global tech company Apple, has stopped operations. Fortunately, no casualties were reported despite the accident causing property losses of at least 100 crores.
Nearly 750 people working at the facility in Jinkalamitta village managed to get out soon after the fire broke out in the unit, police told the PTI. Fire engines rushed to the spot to douse the fire. Media reports suggest that roughly 50% of the machinery has been damaged. Pictures of the manufacturing facility in thick plumes of smoke billowing from the shed are being widely shared on social media platforms.
Renigunta Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) A Ramachandra said the fire broke out at the Foxlink facility where cables are manufactured around 1.15 pm on Monday. “The timely arrival of fire brigades 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. He added that, "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.
Due to sheets and sponge among other items stocked at the facility, the fire spread swiftly and engulfed the entire facility. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the police told the media.
Foxlink was founded in 1986 and supplies a number of major international technology companies with cable assemblies, connectors, power management tools, and battery packs. It has more than 15 design, production, and sales locations worldwide and is headquartered in Taipei.
The company is yet to lodge an official complaint as it is still estimating the loss in coordination with the fire and electricity departments, the officer added.