▲ This file photo shows the nursing hospital that mistakenly threw out an amputated leg as recyclable waste. (Yonhap)

severed leg-hospital

Severed leg found at recycling center was mistakenly thrown out by hospital worker: police

INCHEON, June 19 (Yonhap) -- A severed human leg found at a public recycling facility in Incheon last week was mistakenly thrown out by a hospital volunteer worker, police said Friday.

The Incheon Yeonsu Police Station has been investigating the origin of the body part, which was discovered during a sorting process at the recycling center in the city west of Seoul on June 10.

The leg belonged to an 80-something patient at a nursing hospital in the city, who underwent an amputation surgery two days earlier, according to the police.

The leg was wrapped in bandage and placed in a container for medical waste but the volunteer worker mistook it for a cast and threw it out as recyclable waste, they said.

The investigation picked up speed after the hospital reported its likely involvement to the police, helped by the head of the nursing department who had seen a news report on the discovery on Wednesday.

Police took a DNA sample from the patient and sent it to the National Forensic Service, which confirmed the limb belonged to him.

Police said they are looking into possible violations of the medical law related to the hospital's disposal and management of medical waste.

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