Worker, 28, dies after falling into trommel machine at Nagpur waste segregation plant

A 28-year-old worker died while cleaning a trommel machine at the SUSBDE company's waste segregation plant on Bidgaon Road in Wathoda, Nagpur. His foot slipped and he became trapped in the machine. Doctors declared him dead on arrival at hospital.

The deceased is Salman Ayub Khan, a resident of Antuji Nagar, Bhandewadi. According to the information available, at around 7:30 am on Tuesday Salman had climbed onto the trommel machine at the plant, along with fellow worker Akshay Belkar, to clean waste off it. His foot suddenly slipped and he was caught in the machine. He was seriously injured. The incident caused panic among the staff present at the plant.

The company took Salman, along with his family members, immediately to Bhavani Hospital in Pardi. After examining him, doctors there declared him dead. As the case falls under the Wathoda police station area, the body was brought back to Wathoda and then sent to a medical hospital for post-mortem.

Tension spread through the plant premises as news of the death spread. The deceased's family and others present expressed anger over the incident. Given the situation, company officials spoke to the family members and the others gathered there. They assured them of fair compensation.

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has given the waste segregation work to SUSBDE. Following the accident, questions are being raised about the safety of workers operating machines and about compliance with the prescribed safety protocol. Was the machine fully shut down while it was being cleaned? Were workers given adequate safety equipment? Were the required safety standards being followed during the work? All these aspects need to be investigated.

For now, Wathoda police have begun the process of registering a case of accidental death on a complaint from the deceased's father, Ayub Khan. The body has been sent for post-mortem. Police are now looking into the actual cause of the accident and the safety arrangements at the plant. The inquiry will also examine whether the prescribed safety rules were followed during the cleaning of the machine, and whether anyone's negligence was behind the accident.