A factory explosion in China that killed 75 people and injured many more has prompted a “safety inspection” across the country.
The explosion took place at a car hubcap factory in eastern Jiangsu province, according to local reports. The blast is said to be caused by dust.
The inspection has triggered a nationwide stoppage of factory production involved in metal polishing, which may affect Foxconn, the leading supplier of Apple components, and other Apple suppliers. Foxconn is said to be working on the iPhone 6 at present.
However, it’s unclear if Foxconn is affected by the safety inspection. However, The Mirror newspaper reported that a Foxconn plant in Kunshan that does metal polishing. The factory is involved in doing metal polishing for the iPhone 6’s aluminum body.
The Jiangsu factory was making hubcaps for General Motors.
Industrial accidents are quite common in China, according to the BBC. Around 120 people died at a poultry plant in Jilin province last June.
Recent reports have said the iPhone 6 will come out sometime in October. Apple is believed to be working on a 4.7-inch model and a 5.5-inch “phablet” model.
MacRumors said the release date will be Oct. 14. “Apple may be planning to launch the iPhone 6 on Tuesday, October 14 as the month itself will be an incredibly busy one for the company, according to a source that spoke to MacRumors citing an internal Apple Retail Store meeting,” it says.
“The source notes that a senior Store Leader mentioned October 14th as being an ‘immense’ day for Apple, adding that the whole month of October would be very busy for stores and the company itself. Apple is also said to planning a media event for Tuesday, September 16, coming a month ahead of the device’s launch.”
Other reports have indicated that Apple may have stopped plans for using sapphire glass for the next-gen phones.
