Work pal saw crush death

A factory worker told of the horrific moment when he saw his colleague crushed to death by a forklift truck at a foundry in Sandwell.

Mohinder Singh, aged 53, died in November after suffering head in-juries in the accident at Sigmacast Iron Ltd in Tipton.

An inquest before a jury began in Smethwick today on the long-serving driver had spent two decades working at the firm in Upper Church Lane.

Sigmacast closed at the end of last year, shortly after the tragedy, and is being demolished to make way for new houses.

Father-of-three Mr Singh, of Yale Drive, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, was dri-ving the forklift, which is believed to have rolled over and landed on top of him.

Fellow worker Mohammed Tariq told the jury he had seen Mr Singh driving the forklift truck carrying a beam.

He said: "I was standing by the machine when I heard someone screaming. I thought it was a fire.

"I went out and saw the accident happen. I didn't know there was a person inside.

"I tried to turn the engine off and saw Mr Singh was in there."

The accident is also being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr Singh came to England from India in 1976 at the age of 18, and worked in several factories across the Midlands.

He left a wife, Mindu Kaur, a grown-up son, Bal Badyal, and two teenage children, Kiran Badyal and Maninder Badyal.

The tragedy was the second accident to hit the factory in recent years. A worker was injured at the same factory in April last year, when his arm became trapped in machinery.

The inquest is expected to last for two days.