Chennai, Dec 5 (KNN) Taiwan’s Foxconn and Pegatron have paused manufacturing of Apple iPhones at their plants near Chennai due to heavy rains caused by the Cyclone Michaung.

In Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai, the state’s largest city and a major electronics and manufacturing hub, at least two people died.

The runway of one of the country’s busiest airports was submerged after torrential rain as the city braced for a severe cyclone expected to hit in the next 24 hours.

Foxconn, which employs about 35,000 people at its Tamil Nadu iPhone factory, has yet to decide whether to resume production on Tuesday, the sources said.

The Taiwanese manufacturer has rapidly expanded its presence in India by investing in manufacturing locations in the south of the country. Apple declined to comment and Foxconn and Pegatron did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

This is the second time in recent months that Pegatron has been forced to shut its factory, having temporarily halted assembly of iPhones after a fire in September.

(KNN Bureau)