Two dead as mining pit caves in at Kamarang

Aug 04, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – The walls of a mining pit at Moonlight Backdam, Kamarang, Region Seven, caved in on Wednesday night burying alive a dredge owner and his employee.

Dead, Trayon Hastings

Dead, Rowel Corria also known as ‘Rocky Norton’

Dead are 38-year-old Trayon Hastings of Kamarang Landing, Upper Mazaruni and Rowel Corria also known as ‘Rocky Norton’, 20, of Moruca, Region One. Reports are that Hastings had owned a six-inch land dredge mining operation at Moonlight Backdam, and Norton was his employee.

According to the information reaching the police, on Wednesday about 22:30 hrs, Hastings and Norton were working alone in the mining pit when Mark Embelton, another miner, who was in a camp close by, observed the mining pit caving in and raised an alarm. The workers immediately formed a search party and used two excavators to comb through the pit in search of Hastings and Norton. It was reported that about 12:30hrs and at 01:20hrs the lifeless bodies of both men were found.

Police said upon examination of Hasting’s body, injuries were seen to his abdomen and head, while injuries were seen to right side ear of Norton’s body. The bodies were then taken to the Kamarang District Hospital, where they were officially pronounced dead by a doctor. Police reported that their bodies will be transported to Georgetown for post mortem examination. An investigation is ongoing.

Speaking with Kaieteur News on Thursday, the relatives of both men, described them as jovial and good persons as they were the breadwinners for their families.

Hastings’ wife briefly shared that she last spoke to her husband earlier on Wednesday where he checked in on her since she had recently given birth at the Georgetown Public Hospital. This publication understands that Hastings leaves to mourn his wife and seven children.

Norton’s aunt related yesterday, that he had been working at the backdam for the past seven months and had planned to come home for Christmas to help build a home for his mother. She said that he was the breadwinner providing for his mother and other siblings since his father had died when he was younger. The young man leaves to mourn his mother and five other siblings.

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Backdam, Kamarang, pit cave-in, police, Rocky Norton, Trayon Hastings

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