An illustration of an ambulance (123rf)
An illustration of an ambulance (123rf)

A 49-year-old man working at a local food manufacturing factory fell into a container of boiling water, suffering severe burns on lower half of his body, rescue officials in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday.

According to the Gongju Fire Station, the incident occurred at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday when the victim was cleaning the container. The water was boiling when he fell in.

The burns on his body were severe, but not life-threatening, according to officials.

Police and rescue authorities are investigating how exactly the incident happened.

South Korea's industrial safety law states that an automated machine must be stopped when an employee is conducting operations such as maintenance or cleaning, if the machine in question poses a safety risk to the employee.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com