A young life was cut short in a horrific act of workplace violence that was disguised as a joke. In Bozova, Turkey, 15-year-old workshop apprentice Muhammed Kendirci died from catastrophic internal injuries after coworkers allegedly restrained him and inserted a high-pressure air hose into his body. The incident, which occurred at his place of work, was not a simple accident but a deliberate assault that proved fatal. The teen was reportedly tackled by a coworker, Habip Aksoy, and another individual. They tied his hands, pulled down his trousers, and used the industrial air compressor on him. The immense pressure caused his intestines to rupture, leading to injuries from which he could not recover.
Kendirci was rushed through a series of hospitals in a desperate fight for his life. He was initially taken to the Bozova Mehmet Enver Yildirim State Hospital before being transferred to larger facilities, ultimately arriving at Harran University Research and Application Hospital. Doctors there confirmed the severity of the internal damage. Despite five days in intensive care, the teenager succumbed to his injuries on November 19. The local police launched an investigation, resulting in the arrest of the primary suspect, Habip Aksoy. Authorities initially released him but later issued a new order to hold him in custody as the investigation continues.
Tragically, this is not an isolated case. The misuse of high-pressure air tools as instruments of torture or “pranking” has led to death in other parts of the world. In 2018, a Japanese factory worker, Akio Ishimaru, 46, died after a coworker, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, pushed an air hose into his backside during horseplay. Similarly, that same year in Delhi, India, a 40-year-old worker named Ravinder died after being attacked by an employee he had hired, who used an air compressor intended for cutting wood. These incidents reveal a chilling pattern where industrial equipment is weaponized with lethal consequences.
These tools are designed for cutting wood or metal and operate at pressures capable of causing devastating harm to the human body. Introducing compressed air into the body, even through clothing or a small opening, can cause rapid and catastrophic inflation, tearing tissues and organs. The resulting injuries are often internal and severe, leading to death from bleeding, infection, or organ failure. This underscores a critical need for workplace safety education that explicitly addresses the extreme dangers of misusing such equipment, beyond standard operational hazards.
The death of Muhammed Kendirci is a profound tragedy and a stark warning. It highlights the deadly intersection of workplace bullying, a lack of safety awareness, and the tragic minimization of violence as mere joking. As the legal process unfolds in Turkey, his story serves as a grim reminder that environments where such “pranks” are tolerated can become lethally unsafe. Ensuring workplace safety must include a clear, zero-tolerance stance against harassment and the unequivocal understanding that industrial tools are not toys. A young apprentice has lost his future to a senseless act, a loss that should compel stricter protections and greater accountability everywhere.
