Struggling pig causes butcher’s death at Hong Kong slaughterhouse, police say

HONG KONG — A butcher attempting to slaughter a struggling pig in a Hong Kong slaughterhouse died after suffering a wound from a meat cleaver, authorities said Friday.

>> Read more trending news

According to police, the incident occurred at the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse at around 1 p.m. local time, Radio Television Hong Kong reported. The butcher, 61, had subdued the animal with an electric stun gun, but the animal regained consciousness and knocked him to the ground, the news outlet reported.

The butcher sustained a wound from a 15-inch meat cleaver, CNN reported.

A co-worker found the man unconscious with the cleaver in his hand and a wound on his left foot, the cable news outlet reported. He was taken to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Police said the man’s cause of death has not been determined, and the city’s Labour Department was investigating the accident, Radio Television Hong Kong reported.

“The Labour Department is saddened by the death of the person and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family,” the agency said in a statement obtained by CNN.

“We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures,” a department spokesperson said, according to the cable news network. “We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”

©2022 Cox Media Group