Illegal mining has been cited as the cause for most, if not all, of the recent mining fatalities that occurred during the first quarter of 2019.
Commander of “F” Division (Interior locations), Kevin Adonis, told <<<INews>>> this morning that the latest mining incident that has claimed a life is that which took place in Region Eight yesterday afternoon.
Dead is Edward Daniels, who met his demise after the mining pit in which he was working caved in.
According to Commander Adonis, one man remains hopsitalised but is said to be in a stable condition while his co-workers have been treated and sent away from the Mahdia District Hospital.
However, this is the fourth incident since 2019 began, where a miner died following the collapse of a mining pit.
The Police Commander explained that in those cases, the individuals who had been trapped, and eventually lost their lives were “recklessly” operating there.
He stated that those men, along with their colleagues, ventured to mining pits which were either abandoned by large mining companies or had been left unattended to for some period and commenced working there without proper advice, guidance or clearance.
While the option of mining at those locations would have been to earn an income, the now dead men put themselves at risk, Commander Adonis said.
In March, last, 18-year-old Emanuel Narine of La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD), was working along with others in a mining pit at Oko Baramally, Sand Hill Backdam, Region 10, when the pit caved in, completely covering him. The impact of the rubble falling on the teen broke his neck and caused his demise.
In February, last, 17-year-old Mazaruni miner Romeo Ruben lost his life when the walls of a mining pit in which he was working caved in at Gold Hill Backdam, Upper Mazaruni.
Then in January, last, another miner, 54-year-old Timothy Hunter of Jawalla Reservation, Upper Mazaruni, lost his life.
Based on information received, Hunter along with others were working in the pit when a wall suddenly collapsed, covering him in the process.
The other workers reportedly attempted to get him from under the debris, but by the time they did, he had already succumbed.
