Mining fatalities on drastic rise

Jun 08, 2015 News

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– deaths in past five months exceed entire 2014

The year of 2015 has started out as a horrendous one for Guyana’s mining fraternity, with statistics showing that accidental deaths of gold miners already exceed the figures for the entire 2014.
Statistics released by the Ministry of Labour early in the year show that the mining sector recorded 10 deaths for the year 2014, including two separate incidents of drowning at the same creek.
But at least 12 miners have already perished for the first five months of this year.

Mining deaths for 2015
On April 18, Ivor Haynes died after a boat being piloted by an unlicensed captain capsized in the Cuyuni River. While the captain and another passenger were able to clutch to rocks and save themselves, Haynes clutched at a metal detector he had reportedly bought for more than one million dollars. He sank with the device.

On May 17, a pit reportedly some 40 feet deep collapsed, trapping and killing 10 miners in Mowasi, Potaro. The dead were listed as Leyland Jones, 38, called ‘Foots’ of Grove, East Bank Demerara, who was the gold operations General Manager; his nephew Jason Trotman, 21; of Samatta Point, Grove Housing Scheme; Raymond August of 229 Bent St, Dartmouth, Essequibo; Bobby Brittlebank of 98 Wislock Housing Scheme, Linden; Michael Gardner of Better Hope, ECD; Sheldon and Orlando Clario; Desmond Martins; Trevon Phillips and Nanmore Kurt.
In a herculean effort spanning an entire week, rescue workers braved rain and rough terrain to recover the bodies. It is the worst disaster in recent memory.
On May 29, Thomas Anton, a diver of Kamarang died after some loose earth collapsed on him while he was operating mining equipment under water in Quimenang.

2014 mining sector fatalities
The first of the ten fatal accidents for last year occurred on January 16th and claimed the life of Rohno Rogers, 36, of 265 Freeman Street, La Penitence. He was working in a pit in Marudi, Region 9, when it collapsed.

Then, on March 12th, 21 year old Clive Johnson slipped and fell into the rough, murky waters of Omai River, Region Seven.
It is reported that Johnson, who hailed from Ramp Road, Riverview, Ruimveldt was climbing on to a ‘draga’ (dredge), to reach for something when he fell. Johnson could not swim.
However, uncertainty still clouds Johnson’s demise as relatives have since raised several suspicions about the ‘accidental’ aspect of his death.
On June 14th, at Aranka Creek, Cuyuni, 21 year old Andrew Griffith of Lot 27 Belfield, East Coast Demerara reportedly drowned as he tried to swim across the creek, which is a main waterway in the district.
It is alleged that Griffith and a few other colleagues were swimming to the landing in order to make a report against their boss when Griffith encountered difficulties and drowned.
Then, on August 5, more tragedy struck at Aranka Creek, as 20 year old Leon D’Aguiar and 19 year old Junior Williams were returning to their mining camp after borrowing a wrench from another location. As they were crossing a bridge over Aranka Creek, D’Aguiar is said to have slipped and fallen overboard.
According to reports, Williams jumped in to save his colleague, but experienced difficulties and went under too. Their bodies were recovered a few days later.
Further deaths rocked the mining fraternity in August when Clifton Rodrigues, Chairman of the Marudi Miners Association, and Leon Mootoo, 21, of West Berbice, died after their mining pit collapsed in Marudi, South Rupununi, sending an avalanche of mud down on top of them.
Rocklyn Solomon, 32, a former police officer of Paradise Village, West Coast Berbice died on October 2nd after his mine collapsed on him at Princeville, Potaro River.
Only a few days later Nolan Lindie, 42, of Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, was working in a pit, some 20 feet deep in Mahdia on October 4th, when the walls came down on him. It took rescuers three hours to get to him, by which time it was too late.
Tragedy continued in October when Orel Fordyce, 17 years of Paradise, West Coast Berbice, drowned after falling into an abandoned mining pit filled with water on October 14th.

Who has the jurisdiction to stop the carnage?
The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has set out several safety guidelines that mining operators are expected to adhere to. Whether they are enforced by the majority of operators is another matter entirely.
But there have been calls for the Ministry of Labour to get more actively involved in the mining sector, to ensure underage miners are kept out of the industry and those who can legally mine follow the safety regulations.
In addition, several in the industry have expressed the need for increased training and education exercises to be conducted, in order to sensitize and arm miners with the knowledge to survive in what is arguably the most hazardous sector in Guyana.

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