Man dies after soup explodes

by Maxine Frith
A worker at the New Covent Garden Soup company has died after a vat of
boiling soup exploded over him. 

Father of two Zachariah Counteh, 35, from Deptford, suffered horrific
burns when he lifted the lid off a pressure cooker while working at the
Willesden-based company. 

He died at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford on 7 August, a month after
the accident. 

The Health and Safety Executive is investigating. A spokesman said: "The
man was supervising the production of a large vat of soup when the lid was
opened, resulting in a violent ejection of the boiling contents." 

A spokesman for Daniels Chilled Foods, which owns the company, said:
"Staff are devastated and their heartfelt condolences are with the family.
We are working with the Health and Safety Executive. Once the
investigation is complete the results will be made known."
 
Copyright Associated Newspapers Ltd., 28 August 2001