Several employees of a Foxconn India unit near Chennai fell ill and were hospitalised on Saturday after suspected food poisoning, Reuters reported quoting a source familiar with the matter.

According to the report, the food poisoning occurred earlier this week at Foxconn's dormitories where the majority of the workforce stays.

It was not immediately clear how many workers are seriously ill and whether the incident would disrupt production at the plant in Sriperumbudur, Reuters reported.

According to another report, the incident triggered protests from the workers, who are mostly women as they on Saturday blocked the National Highway. The protest was triggered after there was a rumour that one of the women staff died of food poisoning. Reports said Foxconn denied the news as a rumour and confirmed that those who have been hospitalised are on their way to recovery.

Foxconn is a Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturer, which makes iPhones for Apple INC.