Harayana, Nov.20,2025:Factory dupatta accident — those three chilling words now echo across Yamunanagar after a horrifying workplace tragedy. In a tragic turn of events, a 20-year-old woman named Monika lost her life when her dupatta (a traditional scarf) tragically got entangled in a cutting machine at a utensils factory in Jagadhri, Haryana. The accident has shaken the community and raised urgent questions about labor safety and negligence-
The Tragic Incident
On a routine Tuesday evening at around 6:30 PM, Monika was working on a cutting machine in a utensil manufacturing unit located in the Jagadhri area of Yamunanagar. She was handling freshly cut plates, lifting them and placing them aside after the cutting process.
Suddenly, as she twisted to move a plate, her dupatta got caught in the rapidly spinning machinery. The machine’s sheer speed pulled her in — fabric and cloth first, but then her body followed. In the blink of an eye, she was trapped inside. Co-workers immediately raised alarm, halted the machine, and rushed to her rescue.
When they extracted her, her lower torso had suffered catastrophic injuries — her waist was badly cut. She was rushed to a nearby hospital in a critical state, but doctors pronounced her dead on arrival.
Who Was the Victim
The victim has been identified as Monika, a 20-year-old woman originally from Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh. She lived in a rented house near Kali Mata Temple in Jagadhri with her mother and two younger brothers.
Her older sister, Sonia, who resides in Delhi, revealed that the family was actively looking for a marriage alliance for Monika. Her sudden and tragic death has devastated her family, putting a stop to their hopes and plans for her future.
Eyewitnesses & Co-Workers Speak
One of Monika’s co-workers, Pooja Saini, recounted the horrifying moments leading up to the accident. According to Pooja
- Monika had been moved from packaging duty earlier in the day to operate the cutting machine.
- Her task was to lift the plates after they were cut and place them to the side.
- As she bent to pick up a plate, her dupatta grazed the spinning machine and was instantly sucked in, dragging her body along.
- The machine was running so fast that she didn’t even have a moment to react.
Co-workers acted quickly, switching off the machine and pulling her out, but the damage was already done.
Emergency Response & Aftermath
When the accident happened, factory staff sprang into action. They immediately shut down the machine and managed to pull Monika out. She was bleeding heavily, especially around her waist, where the machine had caused traumatic injuries.
She was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival. Upon receiving word of the accident, local police arrived on the scene and launched an investigation. Monika’s body was later handed over to her family after a postmortem.
Investigation Underway
Authorities in Yamunanagar have begun looking into the incident. According to reports
- The police are investigating whether safety protocols were followed in the factory.
- Inspectors are checking the machinery, including the cutting machine, for compliance with required safety standards.
- They will also interview staff and workers to determine whether this tragic accident was due to negligence or a lack of proper safeguards.
Given the severity of the injury — a dismemberment of the waist — questions around workplace protection and machine guards are likely to become central to the investigation.
Industrial Safety in India
This tragic case is not isolated. Industrial accidents involving clothing getting entangled in machinery are disturbingly common across India, especially in sectors where manual labor and unprotected machines are widespread.
Unsafe clothing — like dupattas, scarves, or loose hair — poses a serious risk when workers operate fast-moving machinery. According to multiple reports, workers in poorly regulated factories often lack adequate training, protective gear, or proper machine enclosures.
Furthermore, labor safety systems at smaller units may remain lax due to cost-cutting, weak enforcement, or insufficient inspections. Accidents like these emphasize the urgent need for stricter regulation and improved safety culture in factories.
Related Incidents Across India
This isn’t the first time such tragic accidents have occurred
- In Ludhiana, a woman died after her dupatta got caught in a hosiery factory machine. Her hair and clothes were pulled in, and she later succumbed to injuries.
- In Indore, another woman worker died when her headscarf got entangled in a factory machine.
- In Ujjain, a woman in a poha (flattened rice) factory died after her clothes and hair got wound up in machinery.
These repeated accidents spotlight a pattern: workers’ attire — often culturally and socially determined — becoming a life-threatening hazard in industrial settings.
Labor Rights & Safety
In the wake of this factory dupatta accident in Yamunanagar, many voices are likely to demand concrete change
- Stronger Regulation: There’s a need for tighter enforcement of workplace safety laws. Factories must install protective guards on machines, enforce strict dress codes, and conduct regular safety audits.
- Worker Training: Proper training programs should educate workers about the dangers of loose clothing and safe working practices around machines.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Factories should provide and enforce the use of safety gear like fitted clothing, scarves without loose ends, or even wrap-up solutions to prevent entanglement.
- Accountability: When tragedies like these occur, factory owners and managers must be held accountable. Investigations should not be superficial — they should lead to meaningful action.
- Policy Reform: Labor unions, human rights groups, and policymakers should push for policy changes that mandate safer factory operations, particularly in high-risk sectors.
A Life Lost, A Warning Ignored
The factory dupatta accident in Yamunanagar is more than just a heartbreaking personal tragedy — it’s a glaring indictment of systemic negligence. Monika was just 20, full of life and hope. But in a split second, her future was snatched away by a machine that should have been safe.
