Worker crushed to death at factory

JAKARTA (JP): A worker was crushed to death by a rolling machine at a steel manufacturing factory at the MM-2100 industrial estate in Karawang yesterday.

The victim, identified as Laurensius Uje Diaz, 24, was reportedly trying to fix the machine at the plant owned by PT Bisma Narindra when the engine suddenly started.

A colleague, Agam, 27, told reporters that he heard other workers scream when they saw Laurensius' body was stuck in the machine.

"When I got there, he was already dead. His head was crushed with his neck turned to the left," he said.

Agam said he had been in the same work team with Laurensius since June last year.

"Last August we were trained in Malaysia for a couple of months." He speculated that human error was the cause of the accident.

Separately yesterday, a gas-fired stove exploded in Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta, killing the house owner.

Muksin, 29, was unaware there was a gas leak when he tried to light the stove in his kitchen.

"It happened so fast when a ball of fire hit him. He died instantly," said Herman, a relative of the deceased.

Muksin's body was taken to Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital for an autopsy. (edt)