Suicides at Foxconn: Numbers still increasing

An 18 year-old female worker at Foxconn’s manufacturing facility in Longhua attempted suicide this week by jumping of the roof of the factory building. The woman—apparently having worked for Foxconn only for a month—was severely injured, although trees broke her fall. The incident was confirmed by a Foxconn spokesperson to Chinese media. He was cited in saying that it might have been caused by relationship problems with her boyfriend. Here is a chronology of events so far: • On January 23: death of a male employee in Foxconn's manufacturing facility in Guanlan during the night shift. The cause of death is still being investigated, according to media reports. • On 11 March: a male employee plunges from the 5th Floor of a residential building on the Foxconn campus in Longhua. • On 17 March: attempted suicide by a young woman at the production site Longhua. Media reports state that the woman suffered serious injuries. • And finally, on 29 March: a male worker in Longhua falls of the 14th Floor of a dormitory. Roommates suggest that the young man might have been sleepwalking. The death is being investigated.