Worker killed by robot at Volkswagen car factory
The man died after he was pinned against a metal plate and crushed
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A worker at a Volkswagen factory in Germany has died, after a robot grabbed him and crushed him against a metal plate.
The 22-year-old man died in hospital following the tragic incident at a plant in Baunatal on Monday, around 100km north of Frankfurt.
Such fatalities are rare as robots are generally kept behind cages to prevent contact with humans, however the worker was reportedly inside the safety cage when he was injured, according to the Financial Times.
The victim was working as part of a team installing the robot when it grasped hold of him, according to the German car manufacturer.
Volkswagen spokesman Heiko Hillwig told the Associated Press that officials believe that human error was to blame for the incident, rather than a problem with the robot.
Prosecutors are now considering whether to bring charges, and if so, against whom, German news agency dpa reported.
A spokeswoman from Volkswagen told The Independent: “Earlier this week a contractor was injured while installing some machinery in the Kassel factory.
“He died later in hospital from his injuries and our thoughts are with his family.
“We are of course carrying out a thorough investigation into the incident and cannot comment further at this time.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments