Woman Gets Crushed To Death After Falling Into Potato Chipper Machine In Brazil

A woman was horrifically crushed to death after she fell inside an industrial potato chipper at a factory in Brazil.

Rafaela Alves dos Santos, 24, was reportedly working her shift in the early hours of Nov. 17 at the Bem Brasil Alimentos plant in Perdizes, Brazil when she accidentally tumbled and fell onto the conveyor belt of the industrial potato chipper machine at the factory. The machine, which was designed to carry potatoes to be chopped into chips, was reportedly turned off. However, when Santos fell into the machine, the machine mysteriously switched on automatically. Santos then chillingly flung to her death at speed after uncontrollably hurtling towards the engine mount, the Sun reported.

A traumatized co-worker watched on helplessly as Santos sustained devastating head injuries, and was crushed to death by the industrial potato chipper. Other workers were reportedly shocked as to how the machine suddenly switched on and dragged the employee to her death.

Santos, from Santa Luzia do Itanhy, had previously trained as a nurse technician before moving to Perdizes in May with her older sister and two cousins in search of a better life.

"She was going after her future, she was going after her dreams, to work in her field and take care of me," her devastated mother Carla Cristina Dias Alves said.

"Rafaela was my darling. My other daughters were jealous because we had a very extraordinary connection. She was an affectionate, self-assured girl who loved to dress up and buy shoes, clothes, and perfume. Every morning she texted me, 'Good morning, my love.' Today I didn't get her good morning," the mother said.

The mother claimed that her daughter's coworkers and the company her daughter worked for did not inform her about Santos' death. She added that she only learned of her daughter's tragic death via news reports, the Mirror reported.

Santos had been hired to work at the Bem Brasil Alimentos factory by an external company. The firm has now launched an investigation into Santos' death.

"Bem Brasil regrets the death of an employee of a contracted third-party company, which provides services to Bem Brasil in the municipality of Perdizes/MG. Following its policy of work safety, Bem Brasil has already started the process of investigating the cause together with the competent bodies," Bem Brasil Alimentos' spokesperson said.

Following her tragic death, Santos was laid to rest in her hometown on Nov. 19.