Team deployed to probe RUSAL explosion

Thirteen persons were injured last Saturday after an explosive went off at the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (RUSAL) in Kwakwani as it was being transported in a 4-Runner.
The incident occurred just before noon.
Ten of the injured were reportedly air-dashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital while the other three were taken to the Kwakwani Hospital but were subsequently transferred to the Linden Hospital Complex.
An official of the bauxite company told this newspaper that he was made aware of the incident via a telephone call, but by the time he arrived at the Kwakwani Hospital, the injured were already transferred.
He explained that the workers who were on the site at the time of the explosion would have received minor cuts and bruises, while it is possible that some might have received severe injuries to their ears.
The official disclosed that the injuries are not life-threatening, but just as a precaution; they were transferred to the other medical institutions for examination.
The official explained that a few workers were transporting a quantity of old explosives with the intention of disposing them when “something horrible went wrong”. The man further added that the explosives were condemned, but due to their conditions, they had to be handled with care, which clearly was not the case on Saturday.
“A little mishandling could have triggered one of them resulting in it exploding… It is not necessarily the way the worker might have handled them, but it could have been during transport on the rough roads, one went off,” he added.
In addition, he divulged that a team from Georgetown was expected to arrive at Kwakwani to facilitate a thorough investigation.
Meanwhile, in light of the explosion, a team from the Natural Resources and the Environment Ministry has been deployed to investigate the incident.
The ministry has mandated the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Labour Ministry and other agencies to conduct an urgent investigation and to examine occupational health and safety concerns at the company’s operation.
In addition, subject minister Robert Persaud has urged the team to conduct an expeditious and thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of the injuries.