X

Chinese authorities probe iPhone worker's death

A Foxconn security officer has been suspended as Chinese authorities begin an investigation in the apparent suicide of a worker questioned about a missing iPhone prototype.

Jim Dalrymple Special to CNET News
Jim Dalrymple has followed Apple and the Mac industry for the last 15 years, first as part of MacCentral and then in various positions at Macworld. Jim also writes about the professional audio market, examining the best ways to record music using a Macintosh. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. He currently runs The Loop.
See full bio
Jim Dalrymple

A Foxconn security official has been suspended and the case involving the apparent suicide of a worker who reportedly lost a prototype iPhone 4G has been handed over to Chinese authorities, according to a Bloomberg report Wednesday.

Foxconn employee Sun Danyong, 25, apparently killed himself on July 16 after realizing that one of the iPhone 4G prototypes that was entrusted to him was missing, according to Chinese media reports. Sun was responsible for shipping iPhone prototypes to Apple.

Sun reported the missing phone to Foxconn, which, according to various Chinese media reports, searched his apartment and questioned him about the disappearance of the device.

Apple told CNET on Tuesday that it was "saddened by the tragic loss of this young employee." The company said it is waiting for the results of "investigations" into Sun's death.

Foxconn did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Foxconn is Apple's longtime manufacturing partner in China. Apple has used the company to manufacture all of its iPods and, more recently, all of the iPhone models.

This is no indication from either company whether the allegedly missing iPhone has been recovered.