Thiruvananthapuram: A 48-year-old Bengaluru native died after getting trapped in a machine used to shred old currency notes at the Reserve Bank of India’s regional office here on Wednesday.

H N Ashok, an engineer with the Mumbai-based Kusters Engineering India Pvt Ltd, was caught between the machine’s conveyor belt while it was being tested after installation. The accident occurred around 12.30 pm on Wednesday.

As per reports, the victim's hand and neck were caught between the conveyor belt, leaving him seriously injured. Ashok was rushed to a nearby private hospital, where he was given first aid and later shifted to another private hospital for specialised treatment. He, however, succumbed to the injuries around 3.30 p.m.

The RBI uses a Currency Shredding and Briquetting System to destroy old and unfit currency notes returned by banks or directly to the central bank. RBI officials said the accident occurred while a new machine was being installed and tested to replace the one previously in use at the office. The contract for the machine had been awarded to Kusters Engineering.

The accident occurred soon after the machine was switched on. Ashok got trapped in the powerful machinery and could not free himself; after that, other employees at the site switched off the power supply and pulled him out.

Museum police said they had collected footage of the accident and registered a case. The body will be transported to his native place after postmortem.