Latest update November 23rd, 2024 1:00 AM
Latest News
Hapless porter defies the odds and dies
Every now and then we see porters on lorries seated precariously atop of goods and the vehicles speeding merrily along.
These porters are not supposed to be there, and not like that. They ought to be on benches or other secure accommodation in the tray of the vehicle.
But more often than not, there they are, seemingly daring gravity or displaying a total lack of imagination, some even taking a nap on tarpaulins covering the goods, as the vehicles on which they work speed towards their destinations.
Dead: Premchand Harriprashad
And every now and then something terrible happens.
The lorry hits something and the porters go flying, or the lorry goes overboard and the porters die as the goods collapse on top of them, or a gust of wind comes along and ditto.
It was something like this that happened to 19-year-old Premchand Harriprashad of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, on Friday.
Harriprashad was a porter on a lorry delivering goods to places in West Berbice .The lorry, without any protective side rails, was speeding along.
Harriprashad was seated on a set of plywood which should have been strapped down but wasn’t. Up came a strong wind and the hapless porter and the plywood went flying.
Harriprashad was picked up from the Bath Settlement Public road unconscious and rushed to the nearby Fort Wellington Hospital where he received emergency medical treatment.
He was en route to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation when he died.
Kaieteur News learnt that the 19-year-old, popularly known as Ravi, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dhaindath Harriprashad of 112 Waterloo, Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice.
He was recently married to Ormela, a 17-year-old bride now widowed and lived with her in the bottom flat of his parents’ home. They had no children and Friday was his second day on the porter job after a two-month break.
His sister Rosheni aged 14 survives Harriprashad.
His mourning father took time off yesterday to call on the authorities to enforce the law when it comes to the accommodation of porters on lorries.
“Some people just want to get their work done! But how about the safety of workers?”
The Police were investigating Harriprashad’s death as an “incident” as distinct from an “accident” authorities said yesterday.
The driver of the lorry is assisting the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in their probe.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Let us not be silent witnesses!
…Peeping Tom kaieteur News- Ray Daggers walked from Corriverton to Charity. It was a journey so epic it might have... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
