Three workers have died in an explosion at a plant run by Foxconn Technology Group in Hongfujin, China. Fifteen other workers were injured at the plant, said to be a manufacturing base for Apple’s iPad.

Foxconn, in a release, said:

The cause of this tragic accident is still being investigated by a joint investigation task force led by government officials and law enforcement authorities, but that task force has communicated initial findings that the accident was caused by an explosion of combustible dust in a duct. Foxconn is cooperating fully with all relevant government bodies to carry out a full investigation into the specific root cause of the accident and the company is taking all necessary actions to ensure the safety of employees at this and all other production facilities.

All operations at the affected workshop remain suspended and production at all other workshops that carry out similar processing functions have also been halted pending the results of the investigation into the cause of the Chengdu accident. All other production operations in our facilities in China continue operating normally.

Foxconn, a leading contract manufacturing company, has a history of fatalities related to working conditions, including about a dozen suicides at a factory in Shenzhen, China. The factory where the explosion occurred has only been open since October, and is in a part of China where wages are about a third of those in southern locations such as Shenzhen.

Another worker dies from explosion at Foxconn plant [LA Times]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.