Accidental strangulation by a hot belt: An occupational medico-legal case report

Death due to strangulation is generally considered homicidal unless proved otherwise. Here a case of accidental strangulation by a faulty machine is presented and discussed where the deceased was strangled by a heated rubber belt of a rice mill machine. The ligature mark was an assortment of abrasion and dermo-epidermal burns. The term “thermal ligature strangulation” is proposed for such an occurrence.