Friday, August 13, 2010

Factory accident claims two lives

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

A dark cloud befell O.G. Plastic Industries in Blantyre on Friday where two of their employees died when a heap of raw materials fell on three of the employees killing two on the spot.

The company’s General Manager Asif Mohmmad confirmed the death of Henry Bernard and a Mr. E. Ulaya who were working as stitchers.

Mohmmad explained that Bernard, Ulaya and the survivor, Henry Banda, were on the night shift when the accident happened.

“It was around 3:00am when they went to sleep under the bags containing our raw materials (PP recycles). Unfortunately, the bags fell on them and two the two died there,” he said.

Tapeline Supervisor Masauko Jones said they failed to rescue their friends because “no one knew that the stack had fallen on them”.

“They’re just discovered by a coworker who equally wanted to sleep. But he was surprised to find that Bernard, Ulaya and Banda were sleeping under the bags without any sign of breathing,” said Jones from the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) mortuary.

“This is when he invited us to witness what was happening. Bernard and Ulaya had already died when we came to their aid. It’s Henry Banda alone that survived without any fracture; he has gone home,” he added.

According to Jones, health officials did not conduct any examination on the deceased because they were already dead.

“They (health officials) told us our friends died of suffocation,” said the supervisor who was present when the accident happened.

Limbe Police Pulic Relations Officer Chifundo Chibwezo could not be reached for a comment, but management at O.G. Plastic Industries explained that the company would provide transport, food and monetary assistance to the bereaved families.

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