HERO KILLED TRYING TO SAVE HIS BROTHER
Brave Gary overcome by fumes in wood chip silo accident
A YOUNG man died after being overcome by fumes while saving his brother in a mushroom factory. Gary Askin had freed sibling Stephen who became trapped at a wood chip silo in the Co Monaghan plant. Councillor Brian Mckenna said: “It’s just one of those awful tragedies. The whole community is in shock.”
A MAN died and two others were hospitalised after they inhaled toxic fumes in a mushroom factory. Hero Gary Askin, who was in his 20s, was killed as he saved his brother Stephen in the wood chip silo tragedy. A third man, a foreign national, was also caught up in the incident at Mcgee Mushrooms in Cornacrieve, Emyvale, Co Monaghan. Sinn Fein councillor Brian Mckenna told the Irish Mirror: “The whole community is in shock. “It’s just one of those awful tragedies that happens and the whole area is in disbelief.” When gardai arrived on the scene on Wednesday night they found the three men unconscious. Gary was pronounced dead while the other two were rushed to hospital. They have since been released from hospital, it was reported last night. It is believed Stephen became trapped in an industrial overhead bin. His brother immediately called an ambulance but then became caught up in the silo himself as he tried to save Stephen. Probes have been launched by gardai and the Health and Safety Authority. A postmortem was carried out yesterday at Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan, Co Meath. A Garda spokesman said: “At approximately 8pm [on Wednesday] emergency services received a call about three males in their 20s suffering from breathing difficulties at a mushroom processing plant at Cornacrieve, Emyvale. “On arrival emergency services found three men unconscious in a silo at the plant. “One man was pronounced dead at the scene and two others have been removed to Cavan General Hospital.”