Industrial accident encases man in tar

TORONTO — A man is in lifethreatening condition after being encased in hot tar that solidified during an industrial accident in Toronto on Monday.

Rescuers worked for more than a hour to free the man after the incident. Const. Clint Stibbe said a truck carrying a vat of hot liquid tar came to a sudden stop in the city’s east end after the driver noticed a boom attached to the vehicle fell to the road.

There were three men in the back, Stibbe said, when the abrupt stop caused the tar, which was kept at about 200 Celsius, to spill onto one of the men, trapping him inside.

Firefighters had to slice away part of the truck before slowly cutting hardened tar in small pieces away from the man’s body. Police said the 46-year-old was breathing and conscious throughout the ordeal. The man wasn’t wearing protective clothing at the time.