The government yesterday ordered an independent inquiry into the latest death from a mining cave-in at Konawak, Mahdia on March 14.
Trentan Sebastion, 19, a pitman, died in the cave-in. The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) yesterday said that he and four others were at the time working on a dredge owned by Sherwin Grenada.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the dredge owner was given a cease work order on February 16th of this year.
The GGMC yesterday said that Sebastion was “reportedly jetting the mining face when undercut material fell in his direction and he was unable to escape its path. He was overcome before he could be extracted and was pronounced dead at the Mahdia Hospital where he was examined.”
The GGMC said that President David Granger has directed that an independent inquiry into the death be conducted immediately. Major General (retired) Joseph Singh has been named to conduct the inquiry. The GGMC has already started arrangements for the sessions which are expected to commence by the end of this week in Mahdia.
In the meantime no work is permitted at the location and officers of the GGMC continue in their efforts to monitor operations in the area.
The decision to have an independent inquiry comes after the government had ordered a Commission of Inquiry last year into mining pit deaths and a host of recommendations were made for the GGMC to implement. There is an expectation now that any new deaths would see the full force of the law being applied.
