The post-mortem of Louis Armstrong, a miner who died as a result of a mining pit cave-in on Monday at Black Water Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region 7, has revealed his cause of death as suffocation.
Armstrong also known as ‘Jessie’, 55, of Lot 6 Second Street, Meadowbank, East Bank Demerara, was said to be working at a 6-inch-dredge operation when a portion of the pit facing caved in on him, pinning him underneath.
Olivia Welcome, a niece of the deceased, said the family has since contacted the man in charge of the mining operation and whom Armstrong was working for.
According to Welcome, the man informed the family that he could only give them $20,000, because that was all he had to contribute.
She said when the man was asked how it was that he was sourcing enough money to pay his employees, he replied “Don’t ask him about his business, and how he will pay his workers.”
However, there followed a telephone altercation between the man and the family of the deceased, who told him the amount was unacceptable given that Armstrong was in his care. In an attempt to calm the situation, the niece called the owner and he decided to change the amount to $100,000.
Welcome said she told the man that as the niece of the deceased, she did not have the authority to accept the amount offered, but needed to relate it to her aunts and uncles who would make that decision.
She said the family was contacted by the man yesterday who asked if they were willing to accept the amount offered. When the family stated that they were not willing not accept the amount offered, the man, while using indecent language told them not to call his phone again, and hung up.
She further disclosed, that while her uncle worked briefly with the mine owner, “a day and a half,” about two years ago a similar incident happened with the man, causing him to only recently begin operating his dredge again.
The man also refused to meet with the family to allow them to further inquire about what really took place.
Armstrong was described as a jovial, simple, and outgoing individual.
As was previously reported by this newspaper, Armstrong’s lifeless body was subsequently retrieved and he was rushed to the Bartica Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police spokesman Jairam Ramlakhan confirmed the incident which took place around 11:20 am on Monday.
The postmortem was conducted by Dr Nehaul Singh, while the body was identified by his sister Orlene Armstrong, before being later handed over for burial.
