Indonesian Technical Intern Trainee, 21, Dies After Being Caught in Paint-Mixing Machine While Working Alone Overnight in Hiroshima
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
Otake Police Station of the Hiroshima Prefectural Police announced that Indra Kurniawan, a 21-year-old Indonesian technical intern trainee, was found dead at around 10:20 p.m. on September 2, 2026 at the Toda Kogyo Otake plant in Meiji-Shinkai, Otake City. According to Chugoku Shimbun Digital, Tokyo Shimbun, and other outlets, Kurniawan had been working alone on a large cylindrical mixer, roughly 1.1 to 1.5 meters in diameter and depth, used to blend powdered raw materials for paint production. While attempting to clear a blockage of raw material inside the mixer, the machine reportedly activated for unknown reasons, catching his neck and pulling him into the mixer.
There were no witnesses at the scene at the time of the accident. Work involving dangerous machinery of this kind typically requires two-person teams, emergency stop devices, and thorough safety training, and the fact that he was working alone overnight has drawn scrutiny. Otake Police and the Hiroshima Labour Bureau are investigating the accident in detail, including reviewing security camera footage, treating it as a workplace accident.
Current status: The precise cause of the accident, the safety management practices of the supervising organization and host company, and whether the Labour Bureau will issue a corrective order or refer the case for prosecution remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
The Technical Intern Training Program is set to be replaced by the new Employment for Skill Development system in April 2027 (related article), and developments like this one can be seen as part of the institutional design process during that transition. Expanding acceptance also requires resolving practical issues such as broker problems in sending countries and building proper oversight systems among accepting employers. For the new system to work as intended rather than merely on paper, it will be important to continue examining how it actually operates once implemented.