‘SANITARY OPERATIONS’

16-Year-Old Dies in Accident at Mississippi Poultry Plant

The death of the Guatemalan teen was caused by equipment at the facility, an official said.

A 16-year-old boy is dead after what was identified as an accident at a poultry plant in Mississippi, officials said Tuesday. The teenager, who was from Guatemala, died of injuries sustained while “conducting sanitary operations,” according to a press release from the Mar-Jac Poultry-MS processing plant in Hattiesburg. Lisa Klem, the Forrest County deputy coroner, said that the death was caused by equipment at the plant. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on July 14. A worker on duty at the time told NBC News that they had heard the victim begin “to scream, ‘Help! Help!’” but it was already too late. “I knew he had died.” The boy was identified by local authorities and a family member as middle school student Duvan Tomas Perez. “We’re very sad,” the relative said. “He was generous, smiley and very fun and very responsible at work.” Investigations into the accident remain ongoing. Results of an autopsy are expected to be released Wednesday, according to Klem.