Robot kills worker in Germany

London: In a bizarre incident, a robot crushed a worker to death at a Volkswagen car plant in Germany, the media reported on Thursday.

The 22-year-old man was helping to set up the stationary robot when it grabbed and crushed him against metal plating, Volkswagen spokesperson Heiko Hillwig was quoted as saying in a Daily Mail report.

The robot normally operates within a confined area at the plant in Baunatal, about 100 km north of Frankfurt, grabbing auto parts and manipulating them.

According to the company, initial conclusions indicate human error is to be blamed for the tragedy rather than any failure with the functions of the robot.

"We are carrying out an investigation into the incident and can not comment further at this time," another spokeswoman from Volkswagen told The Independent.