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

Sathya (23) was operating a garbage shredder at a bio-mining plant in Coimbatore when a power failure occurred. He got into the hopper to clear waste materials, but the machine started working when power resumed, trapping him and crushing his legs above the knee. Fire and rescue services personnel pulled him out and he was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

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 26, 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.