Sandhu’s death has destroyed his family, says his friend
Sudden tragic death of 24-years-old Mandeep Sandhu following a workplace incident at a glass manufacturing factory in Christchurch on Wednesday, had still not sunk in when NewsViews contacted his friend, Rahul Badhu today afternoon.
“It was so tragic and we are still in shock here. I am getting calls from our friends and they can’t believe it as well,” says Badhu.
“The news of Sandhu’s death has destroyed his family as he was their (parents) only son who came to New Zealand in January 2015 to study,” adds Badhu.
Sandhu, who was working at Stake Glass, in Sockburn, Christchurch for the last two years, was reported to have been crushed while operating machinery making glass panels. He is believed to have died on the spot.
Sandhu’s death has been referred to the coroner and Police and WorkSafe are investigating the circumstances of the death.
Police were alerted to the incident about 6.20pm on Wednesday.
Mandeep Sandhu was from a small village, Hamad Wala in the Firozepur District of Punjab (India). His parents, Nirmal Singh and Jasbeer Kaur still reside there, and his father is a government school teacher.
As he was their only son, his parents are ‘destroyed’ by this tragedy.
According to his flatmate and friend, Badhu, arrangements are being to send his body back to India for the final rites.
When prompted for more info about the incident, Badhu told NewsViews:
“No one is sure about actually what happened but his colleague’s are saying that while he was trying to hook up a big pack of 30 glass of sheet and after hooking up the glass, (as) he must be coming down (when) he pressed the wrong button that resulted in the whole pack of glass, weighing 1 ton came on his chest and broke his ribs.
“Mandeep died on the spot, didn’t gave us a chance of getting him to the hospital.”
“Nothing is confirmed yet …we are still waiting for the investigation report from work safe NZ and police as they have seen video cameras so they are the one to make comments on the whole incident.
“According to me we need to know the whole thing what happened over there so that at least his parents should know what happened over there.
“I knew Mandeep from the day I came to New Zealand and now we were flatmate and very close friend,” Rahul Badhu, who is originally from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan(India), added.
Mandeep Sandhu was currently on a Work Permit visa and had come to New Zealand to study Business Management, Levels 5 & 6 that he completed from National Institute of Education, Christchurch.
