A police file photo. [Yonhap]
A police file photo. [Yonhap]

A worker in his 40s died Sunday morning after getting trapped in machinery at an auto parts factory in Yongtan-dong, Chungju, North Chungcheong Province. The accident occurred at around 11:15 a.m.

The victim, identified only as A, was an employee of an outside contractor and was cleaning inside the factory equipment when the accident happened.

Police believe a fellow worker, identified as B, a man in his 50s, activated the equipment without knowing A was still inside, and are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.

Police have also requested an autopsy from the National Forensic Service and are reviewing whether to charge B with negligent homicide.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor issued a work-suspension order for the factory and plans to investigate whether the Serious Accidents Punishment Act was violated.

A similar incident occurred in August, when a male worker in his 40s was trapped between a forklift and a structure while loading and unloading cargo at a Coupang Inc. logistics center in Munhyeong-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.


hope@heraldcorp.com