Sudarshan Varadhan

CHENNAI, (Reuters) – Indian police have freed dozens of people who were detained after blocking a major highway to protest food poisoning at a Foxconn plant. This is the second incident of disturbance at an Apple Inc (NASDAQ) supplier factory within a year.

As they attempt to reduce the negative effects of China’s trade war on the United States, Indian contract manufacturing companies are supplying brands to American brands.

Hours of traffic jammed the highway in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, south, where a Taiwan contract manufacturer (formerly known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd) began assembly the iPhone 12 in this year’s.

Although it was not clear whether production was interrupted by protests following last week’s incident with food poisoning, which resulted to the hospitalization of 150 workers,

Foxconn declined comment. Apple has not yet responded to an email asking for comment.

An official from the police said that plant workers and their families were behind blocking the highway connecting Chennai with India’s technological hub, Bengaluru.

The nearly 70 protestors were freed on Saturday, but some 22 male detainees were still held, said the official who requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to the media about the matter.

Women make up the majority of Foxconn employees in India.

Last December, thousands of workers in a Wistron Corp factory destroyed vehicles and equipment due to alleged non-payment. The damage was estimated at $60 Million.