Worker loses legs after getting trapped in shredder at Coimbatore’s Vellalore dump yard

Incident occurred when the labourer got into the hopper of the shredder to clean the blades, during power failure. His legs were crushed when the power was restored, as the machine was not switched off before he got in.

Biomining process underway at Vellalore dump yard at Coimbatore. Representational image. File | Photo Credit: S. Siva Saravanan

A man working in the bio-mining plant at the Vellalore dump yard of the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation lost his legs after getting trapped in a garbage shredder on Thursday, September 28, 2023.

Sathya (23), a labourer employed by the contractor who is managing the plant, lost both legs above the knee.

The Podanur police said that incident took place around 10.15 a.m. when Mr. Sathya was operating the machine. There was a power failure and Mr. Sathya got into the hopper of the shredder to clean the blades – static and rotary blades that shred big waste materials into small pieces.

According to a police officer, he did not turn off the shredder’s switch before getting into the hopper of the machine to clear waste materials that were stuck on the blades.

“The machine started working as power resumed and Sathya got trapped,” the officer said.

Mr. Sathya was standing right on the blades and the machine started to pull him down, crushing his legs. The shredder crushed Sathya’s both legs above the knee before others heard his cries and turned off the machine.

After being alerted by the workers, Fire and Rescue services personnel from Coimbatore South station rushed to the spot and pulled the worker out of the shredder.

He was immediately shifted to a private hospital for treatment where his condition was critical. The police officer added that a case would be registered based after getting a legal opinion.