accidents
Fatal accident at work in iron foundry – two men dead
Workers pour liquid iron at a temperature of 1,400 degrees into prepared molds at the Torgelow iron foundry. Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
In a foundry in Western Pomerania, a mold weighing several tons breaks while hanging from a crane. Two workers die, one is injured. Experts should now clarify the causes.
Two men were killed in an accident at work in an iron foundry in Torgelow (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), and another worker suffered serious injuries. The accident happened on Tuesday evening in a foundry hall where molds weighing several tons are produced for large cast parts, a police spokesman said on Wednesday. The criminal police have confiscated the hall as a crime scene for the time being, so production there is at a standstill.
Specialists from the State Office for Health and Social Affairs are now to examine the scene of the accident to find out whether, among other things, the prescribed material was used and the specified distances to the loads were maintained. The public prosecutor’s office has appointed an expert to evaluate these findings and find out the cause of the accident.
Broke when parked
According to initial investigations, a 60 to 80 tonne casting mold had been moved around the hall using a heavy-duty crane. When this form was supposed to be placed on pedestals, it broke.
A 53-year-old worker was hit by fragments and pronounced dead instantly by a doctor. A 51-year-old was buried and could only be found dead about four hours later. The third worker suffered a leg injury and was taken to a clinic in Greifswald with serious injuries.
The foundry has been producing very large parts for wind turbines, weighing several tons, including rotor hubs and gear housings for years. The company with more than 300 employees is considered an important industrial employer in Western Pomerania, had experienced turbulence as a result of the corona pandemic in 2020 and was taken over by the Thuringian Silbitz Group GmbH at the beginning of 2022. At the foundry, no one was initially available for comment.