(CMC) – An investigation has been launched for an incident in which two miners lost their lives late on Wednesday when a mining pit collapsed, burying them deep underground.
The miners have been identified as Trayon Hastings and Rocky Norton
The incident took place at Moonlight Backdam, Kamarang Landing in the Upper Mazaruni area.
The two men were reportedly working in the mining pit after 10pm (local time) on Wednesday, when it suddenly became loose and collapsed.
A police statement said the two were the only ones working in the pit at the time.
Another miner, who was close by and noticed the collapse, raised an alarm and alerted other miners in the area, who launched a rescue operation.
With the use of two excavators, the search team started to dig through the soil in search of the men. They were able to finally reach the bodies, two hours after they started their search.
Both men were found lifeless, in mud, with multiple injuries.
Police investigators who visited the scene, have since transferred the bodies to Georgetown, where a post mortem examination will be conducted.
Guyana has recorded a number of mining pit collapses and deaths in recent years, raising concern about the mining practices and monitoring of miners in many of the interior mining districts.
