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Food processing plant employee killed after falling into industrial-size meat grinder

An employee discovered the woman after hearing strange noises coming from the machine.

A woman was killed Tuesday after falling into a meat grinder at her job at a food processing plant in Pennsylvania, the local coroner said.

Image: Jill Greninger died after falling into a meat grinder at work.
Jill Greninger died after falling into a meat grinder at work.Facebook

Jill Greninger, 35, was standing on stairs next to an industrial-size meat grinder while working at Economy Locker Storage Co., Inc. in Pennsdale when she "tragically either fell or was drawn into the machine resulting in her death," Lycoming County Coroner Charles Kiessling said in a statement.

A fellow employee discovered Greninger had fallen into the machine, Kiessling told NBC News. The employee was prompted to check on the grinder after hearing strange noises coming from it, The Associated Press reported.

First responders worked more than two hours to disassemble the meat grinder and recover Greninger's remains, Kiessling said.

"You will forever be missed by so many people," her friend Erin Schreffler wrote on Facebook. "You’ve touched so many lives. RIP my friend."

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident, a spokesperson confirmed.

A woman who answered the phone at Economy Locker Storage Co., Inc. said she wasn’t authorized to comment on the incident, and her bosses were unavailable.