Miners killed after pit caves in

Last Updated on Thursday, 3 August 2023, 10:57 by Denis Chabrol

A gold mining pit caved in late Wednesday night at Moonlight Backdam, Kamarang, killing two miners, police said.

Those who perished are Trayon Hastings,38, of Kamarang Landing, Upper Mazaruni and Rocky Norton.

Investigators, who visited the scene at about 1 AM Thursday, said the incident occurred at about 10:30 Wednesday night.

Police said gold miner, 37-year old Mark Embleton of Kitty, Georgetown, who was in a camp close by, ” observed the mining pit caving in and raised an alarm”.  At the time, Hastings and Norton were working alone in the mining pit.

According to the law enforcement agency, Hastings owned a six-inch land dredge mining operation at Moonlight Backdam, and Rocky Norton was employed with him.

Investigators were informed that a a search party, aided by two excavators, unearthed the motionless bodies of the two men Thursday morning; one at 12:30 AM and the other at 1:20 AM.

The Guyana Police Force said Hastings sustained injuries to his abdomen and head and Norton had visible injuries to the right side of his ear.

The bodies were escorted to Kamarang District Hospital, where they were seen and examined by Dr. Mark Allen, who pronounced them dead.