Iloilo factory worker dies after falling into meat grinder

Jomar Junco 18, of Laua-an town, Antique, is killed after he fell into a meat mixer in Lapuz District, Iloilo City on Saturday morning. Photo by Joel Franco, Inquirer Visayas

ILOILO CITY — It was one of those freak accidents.

A frozen meat factory worker was reaching for something inside a machine on Saturday morning when his hand caught the blades.

Jomar Junco failed to free himself and fell into the equipment that ground and mixed meat and other ingredients for native sausages.

When his co-worker arrived past 7 a.m., he found the upper half of Junco’s body inside the mixer while his legs were twitching.

The co-worker, who only wanted to be identified as Karl, said he immediately switched off the machine.

Karl told reporters that he left his work station to get his keys from their quarters.

But he was shocked by what he saw when he went back a couple of minutes later.

“I saw his feet wagging while half of his body was inside the mixer, so I switched it off, “ Karl said.

He said he believed that Junco tried to operate the machine and was reaching for something in the mixer when his hand was caught by the blades of the machine, pulling him inside.

Jasielor Jaleco, owner of the frozen meat factory in Barangay Mansaya, Lapuz District here, said Junco, a native of Antique, didn’t know how to operate the machinery since his job was to pack the finished projects.

Police investigators didn’t find any evidence of foul play.

“Upon our investigation, we found no indication of foul play so the SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operatives) did not conduct crime investigation anymore,” said Police Senior Master Sergeant Alain Selda, Lapuz police investigator. (Editor: Leti Z. Boniol)