Brazilian mine worker crushed to death in underground tunnel

Last Updated on Wednesday, 1 July 2020, 7:45 by Denis Chabrol

A Brazilian man has died in a gold mining tunnel at Puruni where a huge rock smashed his head.

Police identified him as 55-year old Jose Cicero Ferreira Perera called “Garapal”.

He was a Maintenance worker employed with Hard Rock Mining Company, Puruni Mines.

Investigators were told that he and another man were in an 80 foot deep underground tunnel.

Ferreira was lowered into the tunnel with a winch to pump out water.

His colleague said that after he did not hear from Ferreira for 15 minutes and he did not indicate that he wanted to be winched up, he called him but he did not reply.

An alarm was raised and the site manager was lowered into the tunnel and found Ferreira lying face down in an unconscious state with a rock weighing more than 200 pounds resting on his head.

Police say his head was crushed.