Operator of the horrific mining accident at Konawaruk, Region Eight, Imran Khan, has denied unsafe mining practises at the site, where the walls collapsed on May 17, killing 10 men and injuring seven others.
Khan told Stabroek News he was disappointed that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission was attempting to absolve itself of any responsibility. He said while the GGMC has stated that there were safety concerns at the mine he was never informed of this by the commission. Khan said the site of the initial collapse was roughly 400 feet from where his men were working at the time.
He told Stabroek News that the pit stretched well over 800 feet and where the collapse initially occurred was not an area that his men were operating in, but a portion of the mine that was being utilized by Edward Hopkinson, the owner of the mining permits.
Khan said that when the investigation team was sent in on the Monday following the incident they were shown “clear signs of shelving” where his men were operating. “The wall, it came down like a wave. It came down so fast,” Khan told this publication.
He said that the steep walls that were referred to in the reports were a portion that Hopkinson was previously working on and that while the area in which his men were working was deep, it was not without shelving otherwise the machines would not have been able to traverse the pit.
“GGMC is trying to distance themselves… It was shocking to me because they were never prevented from visiting the site. The site is not chained. They had free opportunity. We never restricted mines officers from the site,” Khan stated.
He noted that the GGMC released a statement on May 19, two days after the tragedy, citing a visit that was made to the mine on April 1.
Khan emphasised that he has continued to work the site under the consultation with his legal team. He said he was never told of any breaches of the mining regulations and he was paying the land owner for utilising the site.
The statement by the GGMC in the days following the accident, as family and friends awaited the continued search efforts for bodies, said that the accident occurred due to the “collapsing of two sides of the mine pit.
“The operator failed to adhere to standard safety practices when mining is progressing beyond 50 feet in depth. Further, the pit limits were too narrow to allow for safe operation utilizing the current method of mining.”
On August 8, 2013, the GGMC received a complaint from Hopkinson, owner of mining permits H-78/MP/000 and H-79/MP/000 that Khan, was mining on one of his properties
without the necessary approval. The Commission said that it conducted an investigation on August 11, and found that there were several breaches of compliance with the mining regulations and the complaint by Hopkinson was substantiated. Two legal documents, a Cease Work Order and an Order to Remove within 48 hours were issued by the GGMC.
On August 21 of the same year Khan obtained an injunction against Hopkinson and the GGMC.
The two were prohibited from interfering with the Plaintiff’s use of SD No. 12126, SD No. 12127, SD No. 12128 and SK Kobelco Excavator in accordance with the agreement between the Plaintiff and the Defendant on May 20, 2013 and permission issued with respect to regulation 149(1) of the Mining Regulations until the hearing and determination of a summons set for the 10th September 2013.
This injunction would have prevented the GGMC from interfering with the mining operation of the Plaintiff.
“It is important to note that when the courts grant such injunctions, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission is prevented from carrying out its lawful functions of monitoring and inspecting mining operations within the sector, which regrettably, led to the demise of the ten miners,” the GGMC said.
Police matter
For now Khan said he is focused on ensuring that his workers are buried and that he is able to assist their families with the costs associated. He said too that he was never made aware of any warnings by workers that there were cracks in the mine and only read about those reports in the press.
Stabroek News was told that all GGMC reports were to be handed over to the Guyana Police Force, however Crime Chief Leslie James could not confirm whether the reports had
been sent.
For now the matter is being pursued by the police as criminal negligence was touted as one of the main reasons for the tragedy.
Michael Gardener, 26; Brian Brittlebank, 46, of Wismar; Linden and Raymond August of Dartmouth, Essequibo; Leland Jones and his nephew Jason Trotman; father and son Glen aka Frank and Vic Bernard; Trevon Philips and Esmond Martin all perished after the pit rapidly caved in from the top, covering the crew and their equipment.
Shawn Xavier, 24, of the East Coast Demerara; Sheldon Adams, 32, of Bee Hive, East Coast Demerara; Regan Greene, 34, of the Essequibo Coast; Alix Green, 28, of the Essequibo Coast; Henry Xavier from the North Pakaraimas, Roswell Andrews, 49, from the Rupununi, and Collymore Lewis, from the Cuyuni-Mazaruni region survived with non-life threatening injuries.
According to a report by the GGDMA, the mining face and pit walls were too high and too steep, almost vertical in places; the operation was too close to the face and walls. It noted that the walls were some 90 to 100 feet with no stepping.
With the rain and with water jetting from two dredges, the ground became very saturated and the soil unconsolidated. As a result, there was general slump failure.
The surrounding material became very fluid which was described by the GGDMA as having the consistency of porridge and slid into the lowest parts of the pit where the men were working. The report continued that it was a fatal combination of circumstances.
