Boy killed in horror rubbish truck incident in Australia

Police at the scene of the serious incident involving a garbage truck at Port Lincoln. Photo / 10 News

A 13-year-old boy has been killed in a horrific dumpster truck accident in Port Lincoln, South Australia.

Police say three boys, aged 11, 12 and 13, were allegedly asleep in an industrial bin early on Tuesday morning when the bin was being emptied.

Emergency services were called just after 5.20am on Tuesday to the Repco carpark, next to a McDonald's drive thru, on Liverpool Street.

One boy managed to escape, but the teenager sustained serious injuries and died at the scene.

The third boy was not injured in the accident.

A statement from SA police says the truck driver was not aware the boys were in the bin and is "extremely shaken" by the incident.

All three boys are from the Port Lincoln area.

The Repco car park has been cordoned off as detectives process the scene. Photo / Nathan Regter - Twitter

Safe Work SA have been notified, and police will prepare a report for the coroner.

The Repco car park has been cordoned off as detectives process the scene.

Port Lincoln Mayor Brad Flaherty told the ABC the accident was a "terrible, terrible incident that will have an awful impact on the community as a whole and the families involved".

Adelaide MP Nat Cook shared the news on Twitter, branding it an "absolute tragedy", while Senator Justin Hanson wrote: "How could this happen?"

Port Lincoln is on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, about a seven-hour drive from the Adelaide CBD, or 251 kilometres directly across the water.

More to come