A man has been killed by a robot in a car parts factory in India after he was reportedly stabbed by a metal arm and electrocuted while adjusting a metal sheet being welded by the machine.
Ramji Lal, 24, from Uttar Pradesh, had been working at a SKH Metals factory in Manesar for around 18 months when the accident happened on Wednesday, the Times of India reported.
“The robot is pre-programmed to weld metal sheets it lifts,” his colleagues told the newspaper.
“One such sheet got dislodged and Lal reached from behind the machine to adjust it. This was when welding sticks attached to the pre-programmed device pierced Lal’s abdomen.”
Police are viewing CCTV footage of the factory and interviewing dozens of workers who were there at the time to confirm the cause of death, and the investigation continues.
Assistant Commissioner Rajesh Kuwar added: “The company management and the contractor have been booked on charges of causing death due to negligence.”
The incident comes after an employee at a Volkswagen factory in Germany was also killed in another accident involving a robot.
The 22-year-old was working at a plant in Baunatal in June when he was reportedly grabbed by the machine and crushed against a metal plate.
