Sam Amico
A 16-year-old boy from Guatemala has died from injuries sustained while working at a poultry plant in Mississippi, authorities said.
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The death was caused by equipment at Mar-Jac Poultry plant in Hattiesburg, Forrest County deputy coroner Lisa Klem said, via NBC News.
It marks the second death at the plant in two years.
Workers under 18 are not supposed to be employed by the plant, given its occasionally dangerous nature. So the plant may have been in violation of labor laws. Per NBC, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division have launched investigations into the incident. If found to be in violation, the company could face a fine of more than $30,000 per incident.
The victim was identified by local authorities as Duvan Tomas Perez, a middle school student who has lived in the U.S. for about six years.
“We’re very sad,” said a relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a pending immigration issue, per NBC. “He was generous, smiley and very fun and very responsible at work.”
Mar-Jac plant manager Joe Colee said in a statement that “our employees are our most valuable asset and safety is our number one priority.”
“We strive daily to work as safely as possible and are truly devastated whenever an employee is injured,” he added.
Colee acknowledged the OHSA investigation as well.
“Any issues identified in the investigation will be corrected immediately,” he said.
