Tragedy strikes tech factory

An explosion at one of the factories Apple uses to make the iPad 2 has claimed the lives of at least two workers.

At approximately Friday 7 p.m. local time in Chengdu, China, the A05 building at the Foxconn campus exploded, propelling debris away from the site. The building structure remained intact, but smoke billowed out from the damage. The situation is now under control, with attentions now turned to the wounded.

10 fire engines, 10 ambulances and many police were at the scene. A Foxconn official statement confirms that there are two dead and 16 other employees injured.

Foxconn said that it is cooperating fully with authorities in determining the cause of the explosion. Early reports are ruling out human factors.

"Production has been suspended at the site of the explosion until the completion of the investigation. The safety of our employees is our highest priority and we will do whatever is required to determine and address the cause of this tragic accident," the company said in a statement.

The A05 building is home to a production like for the Apple iPad 2. MIC Gadget's report suspects that, with production halted, there is the expectation for the scalping price of the device to increase dramatically on the Chinese market.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at Foxconn's plant in Chengdu, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families," Apple said in a statement provided to All Things D. "We are working closely with Foxconn to understand what caused this terrible event."