A homeless man has died after reportedly hiding inside a rubbish container while fleeing police in Cartagena. The incident happened at about 1am on Monday, 31 August, on Calle Carlos III.

According to initial police information, the man had allegedly stolen a backpack on Avenida de América, in the Estación area, before running away. Officers lost sight of him, and investigators later concluded that he may have climbed into a container to hide.

The container was collected by a side-loading waste truck operated by Lhicarsa. The driver was apparently unaware that anyone was inside when the container was emptied, and the truck’s compaction system was then activated.

Local and National Police officers, firefighters and emergency services attended after the incident was discovered. Firefighters removed material from the truck to recover the man’s body. The vehicle was taken to the company’s base for forensic examination, while Scientific Police officers continue investigating the unexpected death.