Acting commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Rickford Veira told a media conference on Monday that the pit collapse which claimed the lives of four miners, could have been avoided. Veira said the miners were evicted some three weeks ago, after a visit was conducted in the area by GGMC officials.
However, it was reported that the miners went back to the area and recommenced mining.
He added that from preliminary reports, the mining team was engaged in unsafe mining practices, hence, the reason for the recent incident. This is still to be confirmed.
Further, it was reported that the miners came into Guyana illegally through Venezuela and are not in possession of a work permit.
A miner who survived the tragedy is expected to be charged. The GGMC head said that a senior engineer and an occupational health and safety officer have been dispatched to the area to investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud said he is disappointed with what happened; noting that while the GGMC has some general oversight of mining operations, the village councils in these areas have full responsibility.
Persaud said this is an issue which his ministry is looking at, because support and proper training will have to be provided in order for them to maintain proper work ethics; particularly as it relates to mining villages.
“I’m hoping that through this mechanism that we can augment and help Amerindian communities to better manage mining operations. We’re very hopeful that this proposal will win some form of support with the various stakeholders,” he added.
He assured that his ministry is making every effort to reduce such incidence, but admitted that this is difficult given the terrain and the scattered way in which gold mining takes place. Nevertheless, he said a plan will be introduced shortly.
The incident which occurred at Arau Backdam, Eteringbang, claimed the lives of four Brazilians last Thursday afternoon. The Brazilian nationals Taigo Nunes Pinto, Ronaldo Da Silva Sousa, Joao Nelson Pinto Mands and Joao Gonsalves Martins were killed after a mining pit about 40 feet deep caved in on them.
One of the men, Jose Roberto Diaz, survived the incident and was admitted at a private hospital.
It was reported that after the pit caved in; it took other workers sometime to reach the location where the men were trapped.
At that time, persons thought that it was more or less a recovery mission, but were surprised to have found Diaz alive.
The four men were finally pulled from under the clay and their bodies were transported to the Lyken’s Funeral Home via the Ogle International Airport.
In April of this year, Dennis Anthony Barker, 16, of Lot 550 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown was killed and another person injured when a mining pit caved in on them at Pamela, Mahdia, Region Eight.
