Workers in southern China, who say they were assembling Apple laptops and iPhones, have become seriously ill after using a dangerous chemical, reports "ABC News" (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/26/3048024.htm).

The Number Five People's Hospital in Suzhou has been treating workers who breathed in vapors from the chemical n-hexane, the article adds. According to the workers, the chemical was being used in the production of Apple products and has left them unable to walk.

The ABC's Foreign Correspondent snuck into the Number Five People's Hospital to visit a group of women who were working in a very small, badly ventilated factory. They say they were using n-hexane to glue and polish the logos on Apple products.

"ABC News" says Apple wouldn't confirm it had sourced products from companies based in China, but said it had tightened its requirements regarding workplace safety at its suppliers.