A young man in his early 20s died last month after becoming trapped in a drying machine on a tobacco farm in North Hamgyong Province, Daily NK sources have reported.
“The accident occurred at the Paper Tobacco Farm in Onsong County in late August,” a North Hamgyong Province-based source said. The man had been working at a light industrial factory in the area before being sent to work at the tobacco farm temporarily.
During the summer season, the tobacco farm took on young people from local factories, organizations and universities to assist with the tobacco manufacturing process, including the drying of tobacco leaves. The victim had been working at the farm for around two months before the accident occurred and was tasked with feeding coiled-up tobacco leaves into a coal-powered drying machine.
“The man and his colleagues had placed a ladder near the drying machine and would hand up the coiled up tobacco leaves to be placed in the machine. They would then ensure the tobacco leaves were fed into the machine properly,” the source said.
One of the coils shifted out of place, so the man went inside the machine to secure it but evidently became trapped inside. His body remained there until he was found dead the next day.
His body was a gruesome sight, according to another source familiar with the accident. The man’s death was reported to his parents, who also worked at the farm.
It remains unclear whether the man was working by himself or with colleagues at the time of the incident. It appears that either a more experienced farmer was absent or his work unit had not been organized properly.
His colleagues were unaware that the man was inside the drying machine, according to testimony they provided to local police, the source added.
North Korea is angling to make tobacco one of its major exports and has invested a great deal in both manufacturing facilities and improving its production processes.
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