Boy, 16, Dies In Accident At Mississippi Poultry Plant

16-Year-Old From Guatemala Killed At Mississippi Poultry Plant Where Three Workers Have Died Since 2020

A tragic incident occurred at a poultry processing plant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, resulting in the death of a 16-year-old boy. The accident took place at the Mar-Jac Poultry plant, situated approximately 90 miles southeast of Jackson, in Forrest County.

Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict confirmed the age of the boy and the general circumstances surrounding his death but did not disclose the teenager’s identity. Guatemalan media identified the teenager as Duvan Pérez, who had moved to Mississippi from Huispache, Guatemala, NBC News reported.

Benedict mentioned that a pathologist would determine the exact cause of death after evaluating the autopsy results, which were likely conducted on Tuesday. Indications point to the cause of death being trauma-related, with an official report expected within a few days.

“On the evening of Friday, July 14 an employee conducting sanitation operations at Mar-Jac Poultry MS LLC’s Hattiesburg, Mississippi poultry processing plant died as a result of injuries sustained in an accident,” the company said. “We deeply regret the loss and send our most sincere condolences to his family and friends.”

According to the U.S. Food and Inspection Service, the Hattiesburg plant is responsible for poultry processing and poultry slaughter, having received its mandatory federal inspection grant in April 2022. As revealed in a news release, the teenager worked as a sanitation employee at the plant and tragically lost his life due to injuries sustained in an accident while conducting sanitation operations on a Friday evening.

“We’re very sad,” a relative told NBC News. “He was generous, smiley and very fun and very responsible at work.”

The accident is the third death at the plant since 2020. Mar-Jac Poultry has asserted its full cooperation with an investigation conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding the boy’s death.

Federal child labor laws prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from working at slaughtering and meat packing plants, as well as operating or cleaning any power-driven machinery related to that field.

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