Labour Ministry launches probe into fatal mining pit incident at St. Elizabeth Backdam
The Ministry of Labour (MoL) has launched an investigation into the mining pit incident at St. Elizabeth Backdam in Region Eight, which claimed the lives of two miners.
The Ministry’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department is spearheading the probe, which includes OSH Officer Ray Hosannah and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Safety Officer Irvie London.
Hosannah and London visited the location over the weekend to commence the preliminary investigation, which aims to ascertain the causes of the accident and make recommendations to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
In a statement, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton extended sympathy to the grieving relatives, co-workers, and friends of the deceased.
He also reminded employers and workers of the importance and need for good safety and health practices in the workplace so that similar incidents/accidents that can result in the loss of lives of loved ones can be avoided.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) confirmed that the mining pit collapsed in the wee hours of Friday, killing 26-year-old Sherwayne Joseph and 19-year-old Imran Blake.
When the tragedy struck, the law enforcement agency said that the men were working for John Burrowes, a 38-year-old dredge owner, at his eight-inch land dredge mining operation.
Joseph, Blake, and seven other workers were working the night shift, which cuts into the morning period.
At about 02:30h, Joseph, Blake, and three other miners were inside a pit when a co-worker reportedly heard a rumbling sound and saw that land had started to collapse into the pit.
The worker raised an alarm, but the collapsing earth buried Joseph and Blake. The three other miners managed to escape unharmed.
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