Man Scalded by Pressurized Boiling Water After Staff Forces Open Machine; Bystanders Fail to Act

[Voice/News Hunters: A staff member forcibly opened the machine, and there was a massive amount of high-temperature water inside. It poured out onto my feet, causing severe burns.]

A man in his 40s has suffered burns due to the malfunction of a high-pressure autoclave at an institution affiliated with a local government in North Chungcheong Province.

The victim, who has been cultivating wild ginseng for over 11 years, was undergoing equipment training at the government-affiliated facility last August to process his ginseng into health functional beverages when the accident occurred.

At the time, a staff member at the facility forcibly opened the lid of the high-pressure autoclave before the pressure had fully dissipated. The boiling water inside spilled out, submerging the victim's feet and ankles.

The victim was diagnosed with deep second-degree burns requiring three weeks of treatment, and he continues to suffer from pain even a year after the accident.

Medical professionals have indicated that the pain could persist for approximately three years.

Even more baffling was the response immediately following the accident.

[Voice/News Hunters: Even after the accident happened, everyone just stood there. They didn't even call 119, so I had to call them myself and take the ambulance.]

It was the victim himself who had to call emergency services while in extreme pain.

The victim reported that the facility staff members did not take immediate action, assuming that "someone else would do it."

[Voice/Facility Official/News Hunters: If we had pointed to a specific person and told them to call, they probably would have. But since there were several people there, everyone just thought someone else was handling it.]

The institution claimed that they did not provide protective gear to the victim because he was an observer rather than a trainee. However, critics argue this explanation lacks credibility, given that he was in the same hazardous area.

[Voice/Attorney Lee Kyung-min/News Hunters: Dangerous equipment was in the same space. Is there any reason why safety measures should differ based on whether someone is a trainee or just a participant? There is absolutely no reason for that.]

The staff member who operated the machine has been referred to the prosecution on charges of professional negligence resulting in injury. The institution has raised the possibility of a mechanical defect, and the National Forensic Service is currently conducting a detailed investigation.

Reported by Lee Se-young | Video by Choi Kang-san and Kim Na-on | Source: News Hunters | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.