A 25-year old miner, of Kwakwani, Berbice River is nursing first and third degree burns to the upper parts of his body, after he was set alight by a workmate at a mining camp in the Cuyuni area, Region Seven last week.
Colvis Jordon’s relatives told Stabroek News at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) yesterday that the man and two workmates were in a creek close to the camp on Monday when they were joined by a young lady, said to be a cook. The woman had been on the job only a few weeks.
Jordon and his workmates, including the cook were said to be in a jovial mood when his assailant left the group and was seen “looking for something”. His cousin stated that Jordon followed the man to see what was amiss, and soon after the man threw a bucket of gasoline on his body, most of which caught his face.
The assailant then threw a lighted match stick on the man, who reached for a bucket of water and doused himself. However, within s matter of seconds, the man’s relative noted, Jordon was engulfed in flames. He picked up two bottles during this time “to fight off the man” but was told by his friends that “he should run to the creek”.
He ran to the creek, located some distance away and extinguished the flames by “plunging into the water”, his cousin stated. Jordon was rushed to the Bartica Hospital and subsequently transferred to the GPH.
The man’s relative stated that his assailant has been “picking” on him since he went into the interior to seek employment several months ago. She said her cousin related that he may have said something which provoked his assailant.
Jordon is recovering slowly from the attack and according to his cousin; he sustained first degree burns to his face and second degree burns to other parts of his body from the waist.
The matter was reported to the Bartica Police Station. The suspect remains at large.
