A worker at an auto ancillary factory in Gurgaon was killed by a robot on Wednesday in a freak accident.
Some reports suggested that the man was killed after he was 'pierced' by sharp welding sticks attached to the robot's arm, while some reported that he died from an electric shock.
According to The Times of India, Ramji Lal, a 24-year-old worker working at the leading unit in SKH Metals, located at the Industrial Model Township (IMT) Manesar, was killed after he accidentally stepped in front of the robot.
"The robot is pre-programmed to weld metal sheets it lifts. 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," a worker told the newspaper.
However, IANS news agency reported that the man died from an electric shock after he came in contact with the robot.
"Ram was working in the robot area of the SKH Metals factory when he accidentally came in contact with a robot and received an electric shock," Kuldeep Janghu, secretary general of Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union, was quoted saying.
The union blamed the management for negligence and not ensuring that the robots were accident-proof.
"The company management and the contractor have been booked on charges of causing death due to negligence," Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajesh Kuwar told IANS.
The Haryana based factory caters to the steel requirements of automotive industries.
The incident comes just a month after reports of another instance when a robot 'killed' a man in a factory.
A robot killed a worker at a Volkswagen plant in Germany in July after grabbing him and thrusting him against a metal plate. The man succumbed from injuries to his chest.
