THATTA, Aug 21: Hundreds of villagers, in coordination with workers of the Shah Murad Sugar Mills, Jhoke Sharif, blocked the Sujawal-Hyderabad highway for six hours by placing on the road the body of a worker electrocuted in the factory on Sunday.

Siddique Kachhi, 36, assistant supervisor technical, was electrocuted while working at a climber adjacent to the boiler on Saturday.

The leader of the protesters, Lal Jatoi, told newsmen that after receiving strong electric shocks, the worker fell from the boiler and none of the administration staff bothered to come at the site.

For about one hour, he was left there which resulted in profuse bleeding of the worker who later died.

The protesters marched through main thoroughfares of Jhoke Sharif with the body chanting slogans against managing director, Zaid Ismail and general manager technical, Yousuf Khan, demanding registration of an FIR against them.

A large number of protesters surrounded the Jhoke police station.

They allowed SHO Dildar Ali Soomro to go and arrest the mill management.

Within a short span of time, the general manager Yousuf Khan, chief engineer Boiler Nasir, administration officer Mohsin of the mill, were brought to the police station and a draft of the FIR was prepared.

MNA Ayaz Ali Shah Shirazi intervened and contacted the mill owners in Karachi on phone.

After a dialogue, the deceased’s relatives conditionally agreed to withdraw the demand to register an FIR subject to fulfilment of promises offered by owners which includes a compensation of Rs200,000, jobs to one son or heir of the deceased besides payment of insurance and other legal contributions.

The management extended unconditional apology for their alleged criminal negligence in the incident and assured provision of all legal facilities under the rules to the workers onward.