Textile Mill Worker Dies Of Liver Damage After Colleagues Pump Air Into His Body

A 23-year-old worker of a jute mill died after his colleagues pumped compressed air into his body as a prank. The man died Wednesday after suffering irreparable damage to his liver.

The shocking incident happened in the Indian state of West Bengal on Nov. 16, The Indian Express reported. The victim, Rahmat Ali, was a contract worker at the vending department of Northbrook Jute Mill.

Local media reports said Ali was just about to leave after his night shift when the incident happened. His co-worker, identified as Sahazada Khan, was cleaning a machine with an air pipe when he pushed the compressed air pipe into Ali's rear. Their colleagues reportedly pinned down the victim, as Khan continued to pump air into Ali's body.

Ali immediately collapsed and was rushed to the nearby hospital. However, his condition was so critical that doctors then moved the man to a private nursing home in the city of Kolkata.

Though he was in the intensive care unit for over 10 days, he could not be saved. "Doctors said that his liver was severely damaged due to the air pressure," the victim's brother, Amjad Ali, told The Indian Express. The man also suffered multiple organ failure.

The incident triggered a widespread protest after the deceased family members gathered outside the hospital and factory seeking action against the culprits. They also named a few people allegedly responsible for the heinous crime.

The officials of the Northbrook Jute Mill, where the accused and the victim worked, did not respond. Police said an investigation has been launched into the incident and a hunt is on to nab the accused.

This is the third such incident happening in India this year. Two factory workers had died in similar circumstances after their colleagues pumped compressed air into their rectum. Sukhram Yadav, hailing from the state of Madhya Pradesh, died in January after his friend pumped the air with a compressor used for drying pulses. The duo worked together in a pulses factory.

Another man died after his employer pumped air into his body after a dispute over wages. Though they rushed the man to the hospital after seeing him collapse, he succumbed to his injuries.