A 16-year-old boy was killed last week in an accident at a Mississippi poultry plant.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on July 14 at Mar-Jac Poultry’s processing plant in Hattiesburg. The company said in a press release the teen was cleaning at the time, but declined to give any more details regarding what led to his death.
Forrest County Deputy Coroner Lisa Klem said the 16-year-old died at the scene, however his cause of death is pending an autopsy.
Friends and family identified the teen as Duvan Tomas Pérez in social media posts. He arrived in the U.S. from Huispache, Guatemala six years ago and was attending middle school, according to NBC News.
The company said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating, as is the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. The company may have violated labor laws by employing someone under 18 at the poultry plant.
Two men were killed at the same plant in separate incidents in 2020 and 2021, according to WDAM.
“Our employees are our most valuable asset and safety is our number one priority,” plant manager Joe Colee said in a statement. “We strive daily to work as safely as possible and are truly devastated whenever an employee is injured.”
Colee said the company was cooperating with investigations.
“Any issues identified in the investigation will be corrected immediately,” Colee said.
Federal investigators have found violations of child labor laws involving Guatemalan children in at least 11 states, according to reports.
