A worker died after accidentally falling into a vat of boiling sugar at a factory in Maharashtra, India. Danish, 25, had been employed at a jaggery plant for around four months after travelling from Uttar Pradesh with 15 other men in search of work. He was reportedly trying to earn money to help his family repay a debt of INR 70,000 (£539).
Fatal fall captured on CCTV
Horrifying CCTV footage captured the moment Danish fell into a large open vat of boiling sugar on August 21. He was seen standing near the edge of the vessel before suddenly losing his balance. Danish then plunged into the scalding liquid and was heard desperately crying out for help as his horrified colleagues rushed towards him.
Workers initially tried to pull him free using large ladles but were unable to get him out. Several colleagues then moved closer to the vat and managed to drag him to safety despite the extreme heat. Danish had been trapped in the boiling sugar for almost a minute.
Catastrophic burns and death
Footage showed workers laying him on the ground away from the vat and calling for water as he screamed in agony. He suffered catastrophic burns and was rushed to hospital but tragically died during treatment.
Jaggery, commonly used in Indian cooking, is a traditional unrefined sugar made by boiling sugarcane juice until it thickens into a sticky, caramel-coloured mass.
Family and police response
Danish was from Mudi village in the Isanagar area of Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh. He leaves behind his wife and their two-month-old son, as well as his parents, elder brother and sister.
Following the tragedy, Maharashtra Police carried out a post-mortem examination before Danish’s body was transported back to his home village. Shamsher Bahadur Singh, a senior local police officer in Lakhimpur Kheri district, said: “No written complaint has been received against anyone in the matter so far.”
