Another Worker Dies at Port... Crushed by Forklift After One Day of Dispatch

On the 23rd, an ambulance arrived at Busan New Port in Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, to rescue a worker trapped under a forklift. / Photo by Changwon Fire Headquarters, Gyeongnam

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] A man in his 30s died after being crushed by a reversing forklift at the Busan New Port logistics center in Changwon, Gyeongnam.

According to the police and fire authorities, at around 12:20 PM on the 23rd, Mr. A (38), who was working at the Busan New Port International Logistics Center, was crushed and killed by a 42-ton forklift transporting containers.

At the time, Mr. A had finished sorting items inside a container and was moving to leave when he was hit by the reversing forklift. Mr. A’s upper body was trapped under the rear wheel of the forklift. Although paramedics who responded to the report rescued him, he ultimately died while being transported to the hospital.

The deceased Mr. A was affiliated with the Busan Port Labor Union Gamcheon Branch and had been dispatched to work at the center for the day when the accident occurred.

The police confirmed that the forklift driver, Mr. B (56), reversed about 30 meters. Analysis of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and blood alcohol concentration tests showed that Mr. B was neither driving under the influence nor speeding.

During the police investigation, Mr. B reportedly stated, "I was reversing after moving a container to load a new one, and I did not see any person."

The police plan to book Mr. B on charges including violation of the Special Act on the Treatment of Traffic Accidents and are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.

On the afternoon of the 19th, attendees are praying at a memorial prayer meeting for the late Lee Seon-ho, who died while working at Pyeongtaek Port, held at Anjung Baek Hospital funeral hall in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, such industrial site safety accidents continue unabated. According to the Korea Port Logistics Association, over the past 10 years, 33 people have died from industrial accidents at ports, and 1,193 have been injured. On the 22nd of last month, Mr. Lee Seonho (23) died after being crushed by the rear wing of a container weighing 300 kg while organizing cargo containers at the Pyeongtaek Port dock in Gyeonggi. The bereaved family demands a thorough investigation into Seonho’s death and measures to prevent recurrence, and they plan not to hold the funeral until their grievances are resolved.

Under the Industrial Safety and Health Act, when handling containers above a certain scale, a safety manager and a signal operator must be present, but it was reported that none were assigned at the site in question.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.