Yesterday marked a grim day for two separate companies, each having faced grisly industrial accidents in each of its food processing facilities.
A 73-year-old man died when he fell into a dough-making machine at Ng Kian Seng Confectionery in Bedok. Over in Admiralty, a 58-year-old woman was decapitated in an accident involving a cargo hoist at a unit occupied by catering firm Thyme Food and Services.
Ng Kian Seng Confectionery
The case involving the confectionery took place at Block 17 along Bedok South Road around 3:05pm, according to The New Paper. Last seen preparing red bean paste, Ng Sew Kuang, the elderly owner of Ng Kian Seng Confectionery, was found inside a dough-making machine. Workers first noticed a burning smell coming from the second-story of the premises, and their suspicions led them to inspect the machines. They found Ng trapped inside.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thyme Food and Services
An unnamed employee of Thyme Food and Services was pronounced dead at the scene after the Singapore Civil Defence Force responded to the incident at 8A Admiralty Street around 4:10pm, The Straits Times reported.
According to the catering company, the accident had involved a cargo hoist, which is used to transport goods inside their unit. Channel NewsAsia provided more details: the victim had been inspecting the hoist, which was apparently faulty. After checking on the fault, the woman found herself stuck in a gap between the lift and a platform, decapitating her in the process.
An employee at a neighboring unit told ST that her colleague had helped to move a decapitated body after the incident. It was only around 8:30pm that the body of the victim was removed from the premises.
The police are investigating the two cases of deaths in unusual circumstances.
