McDonald's has shut all its restaurants in Peru for two days of mourning after two of its teenage employees died while cleaning the kitchen.
Carlos Gabriel Edgardo Campos Zapata and Alexandra Antonella Porras Inga, both 18, worked at a restaurant in Pueblo Libre, a district in Lima, Peru.
Police said that Alexandra was shocked by a drinks machine and Carlos was then electrocuted as he tried to help her on Sunday morning.
The pair, who were reportedly a couple, had recently finished high school and had been working night shifts in the restaurant for six months.
It is also thought that the young workers did not have footwear with an insulating capacity or gloves which could help avoid electric shocks, reports El Comercio.
While Alexandra's mother Johana Inga Argote, 38, told the New York Times that when she rushed to the store she could see from afar wet floors, loose cables and her daughter’s body.
McDonald's tweeted about the incident, saying that their stores would all be shut and later confirmed workers would be paid.
They wrote: 'In response to the terrible loss of our two colleagues Carlos Gabriel Edgardo Campos Zapata and Alexandra Antonella Porras Inga, we wish to announce that we have declared two days of mourning from this morning, during which all our restaurants nationwide will remain closed.'
Prosecutors have ordered a criminal investigation saying they will collect statements from the owners, managers and workers of the McDonald's.
They also said they will do 'an inspection of the electrical facilities, the security systems, the prevention of accidents at work and the conditions the victims were working under at the time of the incident.'
Investigators will also work to find out why rescuers did not have immediate access to the victims, reports Peruvian daily La Republica reported.
Rocio Zapata, Carlos' mother, said to local media that 'we want them [police] to investigate how things happened' and added, 'we were not given a specific version, only that it was an electrical discharge'.
Arcos Dorados, the company which owns the McDonald's franchise in Peru, said in a press statement: 'We are working to find out the details of what happened and will give everything needed to the investigation'.
Ricardo Elias, the legal representative of McDonald's, said to local media that 'police have done all due diligence. We as a company have done it right by giving all the information and access to the restaurant requested by them'.
Elizabeth Carmona, the lawyer for Alexandra's family, claimed that there is evidence showing there were wires that could put the workers' lives in danger.
She said that they will sue the local government as according to her, there wasn't proper supervision in the restaurant.
On Monday, a day after the teenagers' deaths, protesters in Lima demanded changes to workplace safety. Dozens of signs were seen on a McDonald's window.
Indira Huilca, a former congresswoman who views labor as a priority, told the New York Times that by concentrating on private investment Peru has neglected worker safety.
Silvia Cáceres, Peru's labour minister, told the Guardian: 'If the rights of these young people have been violated, we will proceed with the sanctions - although the money is not important because a life has no price.'
The restaurant could be fined 189,000 soles (£43,000) if found responsible for the deaths.
The local government ordered the closure of the restaurant. The investigation is ongoing.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
