Worker dies after getting trapped in Missouri cereal plant oven
Perryville Police Department, in a post on social media, said they were called to the Gilster-Mary Lee Cereal Plant in Perryville, about 80 miles southeast of St. Louis, around 3 p.m. on June 26 "for a male stuck in an industrial oven that was shut down."
Despite attempts to render aid, when officers, medics, and the Perryville Fire Department were able to get to the man, he was dead, police said. Perry County Coroner, Meghan Ellis, responded shortly after at 3:25 p.m.
The victim was identified as Nicolas Lopez Gomez, 38, a Guatemalan national working under the alias Edward Avila by police and the Coroner's Office, the news release said.
It is not yet clear how the accident occurred, and the coroner's office did not reveal the cause of death. Ellis, in a statement, said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) "has been contacted about the incident and will conduct an investigation."
"Our offices will work with them to determine how this occurred," Ellis added.
More news: Woman dies after getting stuck in clothing donation box in Florida
Gilster-Mary Lee did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for more information on the incident. However, the company, in a statement to CBS News said the worker, who had been an employee for nine years, "was fatally injured in a cereal drying system that was out of service."
"He will be greatly missed, and the company extends its sincere sympathies and condolences to his family, friends and coworkers," Gilster-Mary Lee said in its statement to CBS.
Gilster-Mary Lee added it is working with OSHA and conducting its own investigation.
Gilster-Mary Lee Corporation, which "offers an extensive selection of premium private label and food service products," according to its website operates 11 manufacturing facilities in Missouri and Illinois.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gilster-Mary Lee cereal plant worker dies after getting stuck in oven
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