A large explosion ripped through a Foxconn high-tech plant in southwestern China Friday night, killing at least two people, a government official said. The facility, near Chengdu, has in the past been identified in media as a manufacturing location for Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet computer. A Foxconn spokesman did not respond to a telephone message on Friday evening and an Apple spokesman was not immediately available.

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A statement from the news department of the Chengdu Municipal government said two people were confirmed dead and 16 injured, including three seriously. The government appeared to rule out foul play, saying the explosion did not have a human factor.

Otherwise, the government said little about the explosion, which it said occurred in the Foxconn “polishing plant” around 7:00pm. Foxconn is the trade name of Taiwan-headquarted Hon Hai Precision Industry, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics.

Details of the explosion were sketchy but video posted to the internet and broadcast by China Central Television showed black billowing smoke from the massive facility.

A spate of suicides at Foxconn’s mega-plants in China last year generated intense scrutiny about its employment practices, and prompted efforts by Foxconn and Apple to ensure workers were treated well.

NYPost