Warning: This story contains graphic details

A 15-year-old boy has died after a high-pressure air hose was inserted into his body in what authorities say began as a workplace prank but is now being described by some as akin to “torture.”

Muhammed Kendirci sustained severe injuries during the incident, which took place on Friday, Nov. 14, at a carpentry workshop in Bozova, a municipality in Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey, according to local news outlets Milliyet, Sözcü, and Hürriyet.

The young victim suffered significant internal organ damage and was admitted to the intensive care unit, where he remained for five days. Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries on the morning of Nov. 19, Hürriyet reported.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, which has sparked outrage and raised questions about workplace safety and the boundaries of so-called “pranks” in professional environments.

On the day of the incident, Muhammed Kendirci was reportedly restrained by a fellow apprentice, Habip Aksoy, and an unidentified accomplice, according to Milliyet. Authorities say his hands were tied, his pants forcibly removed, and a high-pressure air compressor used to inject air into his rectum.

Emergency medical teams were dispatched immediately, taking Kendirci first to Bozova Mehmet Enver Yıldırım State Hospital. He was later transferred to Balıklıgöl State Hospital before being moved to Harran University Research and Application Hospital, the report stated.

Aksoy, who had previously been released on probation during the ongoing investigation, has now been rearrested by the on-call court, Hurriyet reported. Following Kendirci’s death, his funeral was held at Bozova Asri Cemetery, according to Sozcu.

The incident has drawn national attention, with Turkish parliament member Suat Özçağdaş weighing in on social media platform X. In a translated post, Özçağdaş described the incident as torture, emphasizing that the teenager “should have been at school instead of working as an apprentice in a carpentry workshop.”

“The prosecutor’s office initially labeled the incident a joke, not torture,” Özçağdaş wrote on Nov. 19. “After struggling to survive for five days, Muhammed tragically passed away today.”

Authorities have confirmed that the investigation into the circumstances of Kendirci’s death is ongoing.