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Horror at Chinese supermarket: Man crushed to death as wall crumbles
Scenes from the incident at the construction site
Kaieteur News – A 28-year-old Cuban national was killed on Monday afternoon after a concrete wall collapsed at a construction site in Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara.
Dead: 28-year-old Dairobis Martinez
The deceased has been identified as Dayrovis Martinez Mendoza, a construction worker of 15th Street, Foulis, East Coast Demerara.
The wall, measured at 15 feet high and 120 feet long, which was being built as part of a Chinese-owned supermarket, came crashing down around 11:30hrs, trapping several workers and fatally crushing Martinez on the spot.
Sources from the area told Kaieteur News that a group of construction workers had been working near the wall when it suddenly gave way. Witnesses said only one body was immediately visible in the rubble following the collapse.
Regional Commander, Senior Superintendent Khali Pareshram, confirmed that one person had died. Emergency Medical Technicians, the Guyana Fire Service, and members of the Guyana Police Force were quickly on the scene. They worked to remove debris and determine if any other individuals were trapped beneath the rubble. Only one body was recovered.
Preliminary information suggests that the wall was being constructed on the eastern side of the supermarket. According to residents, construction began approximately three months ago. Several residents had reportedly raised concerns about the structure of the wall. One resident shared, “We did raise concerns about the wall ever since they started construction. How it was being constructed, it looked inferior, and we were worried that the wall might collapsed in which it did,” a resident stated.
Excavators were seen clearing the rubble in search of any additional victims. Eyewitnesses and residents noted that no designated safety officer was present on-site at the time of the incident and criticised the poor quality of construction, which they believe led to the fatal collapse.
The scene was tense and emotional, with many residents gathering around, concerned for loved ones who work at the construction site. One distressed woman cried out, “My husband is under there!” as emergency crews continued their efforts.
Meanwhile a Police statement detailed, Xie Guohui, a 49-year-old Chinese businessman, entered into a 40-year lease agreement on 2024-10-07 with Carlos Paul, the owner of the property, for the purpose of constructing a supermarket and residential quarters.
“ Guohui stated that construction commenced approximately two months ago, which he personally supervised, having over 15 years of experience in construction. He reported that he had hired six Spanish-speaking labourers whose names he did not record,” police said.
On the day of the incident, the businessman claimed he was unwell and absent from the site when he received a call at about 11:50 hrs. informing him that a fence wall had collapsed.
“He indicated he could not say what caused the collapse since he was not present,” police stated.
However, eyewitnesses detailed that several Spanish-speaking workers were working at the site when the eastern fence wall suddenly collapsed, pinning Mendoza beneath the rubble.
“Police and Fire Service ranks later arrived, broke through the concrete, and removed Mendoza from beneath the rubble. The site was searched to ensure no additional persons were trapped, but none were found,” police detailed.
The body was subsequently removed and taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, awaiting post mortem examinations.
Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith, visited the site shortly after the incident. Alongside him was Roydon Croal, Assistant Chief Occupational Health and Safety Officer, and an official from the ministry. Griffith confirmed with Kaieteur News that his ministry’s Health and Safety Officers were conducting an immediate investigation into whether proper safety protocols were being followed at the time of the incident.
While observing the aftermath of the tragedy, Griffith pledged that the ministry will intensify efforts to prevent future workplace incidents. He emphasised the need for both increased inspections and stronger public education on occupational safety. “We need to amplify and continue inspections by our Health and Safety Officers,” the minister stated. “But equally, I believe we must find a way to have persons continue to join the educational aspect of health and safety. Over the coming days, a robust plan is being examined to educate workers and employers on proper health and safety protocols,” he added.
Investigations are currently underway as officials work to gather detailed information surrounding the circumstances of the incident.
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120 feet long by 15 feet high fence ?
Who gave the written permission for such height ?
Name ?
I thought this was Guyana’s own FORT KNOX, AS IN KENTUCKY ?