A 22-year-old Volkswagen factory worker has died from his injuries after a robot grabbed and crushed him against a metal plate.

The freak incident happened on Monday as the man, who has not been named, was helping to set up the automated machinery at the German-based VW plant in Kassel, north of Frankfurt. The robot in question is in fact a mechanical arm that moves car parts into position and is part of the fully-automated assembly line at the factory.

A spokesman for VW confirmed the tragic incident and said: “Earlier this week a 22-year-old contractor was injured while installing some machinery in the Kassel factory. “He died later in hospital from his injuries and our thoughts are with his family. We are if course carrying out a thorough investigation into the incident and cannot comment further at this time.”