Worker in his 30s killed after head trapped by equipment at Gunsan shipyard

A worker in his 30s was killed after his head became trapped between a piece of equipment and a steel structure at a shipyard in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.

According to the Gunsan Fire Department, a report came in at around 4:44 p.m. Friday that a worker's head had become caught in equipment at a shipyard in Bieungdo-dong, Gunsan.

Firefighters rushed to the scene and transported the worker, identified only by his surname, to a hospital in cardiac arrest, but he died at around 7 p.m. Friday.

The worker had been operating a lug-attachment machine — a device used to secure large structures such as ship blocks to crane hooks — when his head became trapped in a steel structure, according to authorities.

Police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident by questioning shipyard officials and are also looking into whether proper safety measures were observed at the scene.