Pig Kills Butcher In Slaughterhouse

A butcher has been killed by a pig that was about to be slaughtered at a slaughterhouse in Hong Kong.

Police said that the 61-year-old butcher had shot the animal with a stun gun in order to slaughter it, however, the pig regained consciousness and knocked him over.

A colleague at the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse in northern Hong Kong found the butcher with a meat cleaver still in his hand and an injured left foot.

While police have not yet determined the cause of death, it appears the butcher was knocked over by the struggling pig on Friday, Jan. 20, and sustained a wound from the 15 inch blade.

The butcher was taken to hospital but was later certified dead.

Hong Kong's Labour Department has launched an investigation and will recommend safety improvements.

A spokesperson said: "The Labour Department is saddened by the death of the person and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family.

"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."

Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, overseeing the slaughterhouse, offered sympathies to the family of the butcher.