A 15-year-old boy has died after a high-pressure air hose was inserted into his body during what was initially described as a workplace prank but is now being widely compared to “torture.”
The victim, Muhammed Kendirci, suffered catastrophic internal injuries and fought for his life for five days in intensive care before succumbing to his wounds.
The horrifying incident unfolded at a carpentry workshop in Bozova, a municipality and district of Şanlıurfa Province in Turkey.
Local outlets Milliyet, Sozcu and Hurriyet reported that Kendirci was seriously injured on Friday, Nov. 14. Despite being rushed through multiple hospitals, he died from his injuries on the morning of Nov. 19, according to Hurriyet.
How the workshop assault reportedly unfolded
According to reports, Kendirci was restrained on the day of the attack by colleague Habip Aksoy and another friend whose identity has not been released.
His hands were allegedly tied, his trousers were forcibly removed, and a high-pressure air compressor hose was reportedly used to inject air into his rectum.
Medical teams were sent to the scene and transported Kendirci to Bozova Mehmet Enver Yıldırım State Hospital, Milliyet stated.
He was later transferred to Balıklıgöl State Hospital before ultimately being moved to Harran University Research and Application Hospital. He remained in the intensive care unit for five days while doctors treated severe internal organ damage.
Reports indicate that Aksoy was not only a coworker but Kendirci’s employer.
He later died from his horrific injuries five days after the assault.
Suspect re-arrested and funeral held as investigation continues
Aksoy was initially detained by police, then released on bail. Hurriyet later reported that he has since been arrested again by the on-call court as the investigation remains active. His charges have yet to be finalized.
Following Kendirci’s death, his funeral was held at the Bozova Asri Cemetery, according to Sozcu.
The case has drawn national attention, including comments from Turkish parliament member Suat Özçağdaş. Writing on X, Özçağdaş said the teenager was “tortured while working as an apprentice in a carpentry workshop,” and added that the boy should have been in school instead.
“The prosecutor's office initially stated that the incident was a joke, not torture,” Özçağdaş wrote on Nov. 19. “Having struggled to hold on to life for five days, Muhammed tragically passed away today.”
Other deadly air hose incidents involving teenagers
Reports note that this is not the first fatal case involving a high-pressure air tube. While the tool is commonly used for tasks ranging from vehicle maintenance to grinding and operating nail guns, it has been linked to multiple deadly assaults on young workers, according to Express US.
In 2023, a 16-year-old Indian factory worker named Motilal Sahu died from internal wounds after a colleague pushed a compressed air tube into his rectum “for fun” in circumstances described as very simialr to what allegedly happened with Kendirci.
Dheerajsingh Goud, 21, allegedly grabbed a hose from his cleaning equipment and thrust it into the teenager’s anus, causing devastating bowel injuries.
Sahu collapsed at the Poona Flour and Foods processing facility in the town of Hadapsar and later died from his internal wounds.
Another case dates back to 2017, involving 17-year-old car wash worker Wesner Moreira da Silva.
He died after coworkers inserted a high-pressure air hose into his rectum, rupturing his intestines. Thiago Giovanni Demarco Sena and Willian Enrique Larrea were later convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering him and were sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.