CHENGDU -- The death toll rose to three after one seriously injured worker died in hospital Sunday following an explosion at a Foxconn plant in southwest China' s Sichuan province on May 20, local authorities said on Sunday.
The blast occurred about 7 pm on May 20 at a workshop in Hongfujin Precision Electronics (Chengdu) Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group, located in the provincial capital of Chengdu, said a spokesman with the city's government.
Two people were found dead and 16 others injured on May 20.
As of Sunday noon, six of the 16 injured workers have been discharged from hospital. But one worker who had been seriously injured died after treatment failed, said a spokesman with the Chengdu Municipal Health Bureau.
An initial investigation indicates that the explosion could be caused by combustible dust in the polishing workshop. Investigators ruled out the possibility of deliberate sabotage, said officials.
The operations in the polishing workshop, as well as other plant sections with similar manufacturing processes, have been suspended for further investigation and workplace safety checks, said a spokesman with the Hongfujin company.
Foxconn, the world's largest electronics contractor, opened the $2-billion Chengdu plant in October last year to manufacture laptop computers, iPads, and other devices.
