A mining pit accident in the backdam of Kumung Kumung, Puruni River, Region Seven on Friday claimed the lives of two miners.
The deceased men have been identified as Troy Scott, a 44-year-old of Linden and Seon Martin, a 32-year-old from Lethem.
A police report said the men were employed by Rhyburn Elcock, a 42-year-old miner/businessman of Rahaman’s Park, EBD on his 6” Land Dredge.
At about 3.30 on Friday last, police said Martin, the General Manager for the mines, was operating the Jetting hose while Scott was operating the Marrock hose in the mining pit which is about 25 feet in depth. The land suddenly caved-in, trapping them beneath.
The other workers were able to escape unhurt. They then immediately sprang into rescue mode and pulled Martin and Scott from the pit. However, the men had already succumbed. The bodies were taken to the Bartica Hospital the following day.
This is the third major mining pit accident in recent weeks.
In June, miner and dredge owner, Donald Gouveia aka Danny, perished following the collapse of a pit he was working in at Micobie Back-dam, Region 8.
Days later, Akeem Khan, 23, a dredge owner and miner died at Sand Hill Backdam, Cuyuni River, while jetting in his mining pit.
Back in February, a 58-year-old pork knocker Christopher Bumbury died while working in a pit at Highwood backdam, North West District.
He died when the southern wall of the dug-out mining pit, measuring about 15 feet in width by 20 feet in length by 22 feet in depth, caved in.
In June, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) in a press statement had urged miners to follow good occupational health and safety practices.
While acknowledging the mining sector to be a high risk, hazardous industry, it appealed to its members, and the general mining community, to adhere to and implement good safety practices. The role of proper and sound planning in ensuring better productivity and safety should be well recognized, GGDMA said. Based on the results of various Commissions of Inquiry into mining incidents, “we believe that many of the incidents that resulted in fatalities could have been avoided with better planning.”
The 2015-2020 APNU+AFC government had made a concerted effort to tackle mining pit deaths but they continued unabated.
