A 37-year-old married father of three has been killed after being sucked into a mincemeat machine that was used for making hamburgers, which he was repairing at a Brazilian slaughterhouse.

Rodrigo Roa Alvarez died when he was sucked into the device at the JBS Seara Alimentos abattoir in the municipality of Dourados in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul on the afternoon of 29th August.

According to the police, the engineer was pulled into the mincemeat machine while carrying out maintenance work, and the on-site safety supervisor immediately notified the emergency services when he realised what had happened.

The victim was reportedly making final adjustments to the machine when he was pulled in and lost part of his body. He died on the spot.

The police, who said the victim had over 10 years of experience in his field, added that a team of experts was sent to the slaughterhouse to carry out a preliminary investigation into what went wrong.

The abattoir said in a statement: “With much regret, JBS confirms the death of an employee in an accident at our facilities in Dourados on Sunday afternoon. The company sends our condolences to the worker’s family, who have been receiving all the necessary support.

“JBS will monitor the investigation being carried out by the authorities and provide any information that may help to clarify what happened.”

According to reports, the engineer leaves behind a wife and three children – two daughters and a son.

The investigation continues.