A man who works at a slaughterhouse in Tilburg has died after he was attacked by a bull, local police said on Friday.

The accident happened at around 6.30 am at the Vion abbatoir. An air ambulance was called to the slaughterhouse but the man was declared dead at the scene.

Social affairs ministry inspectors are now investigating what happened and police have said they will not be making any more information public while that is ongoing.

A labour inspectorate spokesman told local broadcaster Omroep Brabant that attacks by bulls are uncommon but that he had no statistics about how often.

The broadcaster said that it appears the man may have been attacked while the bulls were being taken from transport lorries into the slaughterhouse itself.

Vion said workers at the slaughterhouse are ‘shocked’ by events but said that it will make no further statement while the investigation continues.