The Spanish National Police has opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the death of a 27 year old worker who died of poisoning after having been handling pesticides in a greenhouse.
The Homicide Group of the Provincial Police Station has taken charge of the case this Tuesday after receiving an official letter from the Court of Instruction 2 of AlmerÃa, which, in turn, had initiated preliminary proceedings following the autopsy conducted by forensic doctors of the Institute of Legal Medicine (IML) of Almeria, which revealed the death by poisoning.
Police sources reported that the agents will proceed to interrogate the owner of the farm where the deceased person worked, located in El Barranquete, as well as his work colleagues, and they will visit the greenhouse together with Labor Inspectors to verify whether the working conditions comply with current regulations.
Those in charge of the investigation will have to find out which phytosanitary products are used in the farm, how toxic they are, in what conditions they are handled, if the workers have adequate protection measures, and whether the deceased was using them or not. The objective is to determine whether the firm is criminally liable or if it was just a case of "bad practice."
As reported by the SAT union, the worker, identified as M.E.B. and 27 years old, died on January 18 in the El Toyo hospital, where he ended up after a day "sulfating in the greenhouse, and after a week with stomach pains."
Kopagro, the company that owns the greenhouse, refused to make any statements for the time being, given the lack of information they say they have.
Source: Public / Agencies