An industrial robot has killed a factory worker at a vegetable packaging plant in South Korea. He was sent to check whether the machines were defective or improperly designed, police in the country said.

The victim, who was not identified by the Korean police, was a worker in a company that installs industrial robots, and he was sent to examine the condition of the machines, but one of the robots grabbed the man and crushed him to death.

Police said on Thursday, the man was grabbed by the robot and pressed against the conveyor belt by the machine’s robotic arms, consequently resulting in his death after sustaining head and chest injuries. 

According to police in the southern county of Goseong, early evidence suggests the incident was likely caused by human error rather than the robot itself being the problem. 

However, the incident is still a major concern to the public as it is not the first case to be recorded in the country. 

People are worried they may be snatched by a robot one day, VOA reported.

In March, a manufacturing robot crushed and seriously injured a worker who was examining it at an auto parts factory in Gunsan, while a conveyor belt killed a milk factory worker in another incident last year.