China Probing Blast at Apple Supplier Factory

Authorities are investigating the cause of an explosion over the weekend that injured dozens of people at the Shanghai factory of a supplier to Apple Inc. They have ordering safety precautions to prevent further accidents.

An official in Shanghai’s Songjiang district said Tuesday that the government formed an investigation group and ordered safety checks at the Riteng Computer Accessory Co. factory, a subsidiary of Apple supplier Pegatron Corp.

Apple spokeswoman in China Carolyn Wu expressed the company’s sympathies for the 61 injured and said it was working with Pegatron to understand the cause of the blast.

Critics have taken Apple to task for alleged violations of labor and environmental standards by its China-based suppliers, and the company has said it is working to resolve such problems.