A Bangladeshi cleaner was crushed to death on Monday while operating waste-compacting machinery.

The 37-year-old man, known to his friends as Ali, was working at a bin centre in Bedok Reservoir Road when the machine malfunctioned.

Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that Mr Ali had tried to kick the waste compactor when it did not work, but got caught in the machine instead.

A spokesman for the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call about the incident at about 9.15am. SCDF officers found Mr Ali "inside the refuse compactor of the centralised refuse chute, with no pulse and no breathing".

Paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on-site and en route to Changi General Hospital. The Straits Times understands he was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police are investigating.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) chairman Pritam Singh extended condolences to Mr Ali's family and said AHTC staff and conservancy contractors were assisting the authorities in their investigations.

He said AHTC management had directed the contractors to carry out safety briefings with staff.

Yesterday, Mr Ali's friends and family were at the mortuary to claim his body. His brother-in-law, a 41-year-old construction worker, said Mr Ali had worked here for three years and "would save as much as possible to send money back to his wife and three children".