ermingut/iStock(LIMA, Peru) — All McDonald’s restaurants in Peru temporarily shuttered this week as part of “two days of mourning” following the deaths of two young employees at a Lima restaurant.
McDonald’s Peru, which is operated by Arcos Dorados, announced the deaths of the two workers, Carlos Gabriel Edgardo Campos Zapata and Alexandra Antonella Porras Inga, in a statement Monday.
“We want to announce that we have declared two days of mourning since this morning, so all of our restaurants will remain closed in the entire country without affecting the compensation for our colleagues,” the statement said.
It added that it is cooperating with local authorities in the investigation.
The two workers were teenagers and died after being electrocuted while cleaning the kitchen during the overnight shift on Sunday, the national Peruvian newspaper La Republica reported.
La Republica reported that the deaths have sparked former and current fast food workers to protest, demanding reforms.
Arcos Dorados said it is “deeply saddened with the unfortunate accident” in a statement to ABC News Wednesday and it shares in the “sorrow and extreme pain of the affected families” of the victims.
“We immediately notified all the authorities: police, firemen, and SAMU (Mobile Emergency Care System of the Ministry of Health) and continue to offer our full cooperation into their investigations,” the statement added. “The police took control of the scene, and the accident currently remains under active investigation — we take this matter incredibly seriously and remain committed to creating a safe work environment for all our colleagues.”
The national labor inspection agency in Peru, Sunafil, said it dispatched Safety and Health in the Workplace inspectors to the McDonald’s in the Pueblo Libre neighborhood of Lima where the incident occurred, and have launched an investigation into the deaths.
If the investigation concludes the employer failed to comply with workplace safety regulations, the agency said it will impose its “most drastic administration penalty” or a fine of up 189,000 soles (more than $56,000).
The Chicago-based McDonald’s Corporation told ABC News in a statement it is “profoundly saddened by the tragic accident that occurred at a McDonald’s-franchised restaurant in Peru.”
The statement added that safety of crew members is a “global priority” and they are working with their local partner amidst the investigation.
The mother of Porras Inga told the New York Times that her daughter did not appear to be wearing boots, gloves or safety equipment when she saw her daughter’s body at the scene shortly after her death.
Johana Inga Argote, the mother, told the outlet that she wants McDonald’s to make sure its employees “receive what they need to stay safe.”
“Don’t let them die,” she added. “Take care of them.”
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