Workplace accident in İskeçe: 60-year-old worker killed, one injured

A tragic workplace accident occurred near Küçük Osmanlı village, part of the Ihnanlı Municipality in the Xanthi (İskeçe) region, resulting in one death and one injury.

The incident took place on the morning of Monday, November 3, at a packaging facility, where a 60-year-old worker lost his life during maintenance work.

According to reports, an oven that had been removed from the production line exploded, and the metal door struck the worker in the chest, causing fatal injuries. Another worker sustained a minor leg injury in the blast.

Police and ambulance teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, and both the deceased and injured workers were taken to İskeçe General Hospital. The İskeçe Police Department has launched an investigation into the accident.

Severe Staff Shortage in Labor Inspections

Workplace safety remains a pressing issue in İskeçe and the Eastern Macedonia–Thrace region, where only three technical labor inspectors are responsible for supervising approximately 6,000 businesses.

Athanasios Sisamberis, president of the İskeçe Workers’ Union, stated:

“The main reason for workplace accidents in our region is the lack of sufficient safety measures. The current number of inspectors is far from enough to monitor all local businesses.”

Speaking to local media, Sisamberis emphasized the need for more technical inspectors to be appointed in the regional center and for social inspectors to be strengthened:

“It is simply impossible to monitor 6,000 businesses with just three people,” he said.

The union president described the frequency of workplace accidents and the lack of inspections as a serious warning about worker safety and called on authorities to take immediate action to improve labor conditions in the region.