A 55-year-old Brazilian man was on Tuesday killed after his head was crushed by a rock weighing in excess of 200lbs in an underground tunnel at Puruni Mines, Region Seven.
According to police information, Jose Cicero Ferreira Pereira known as ‘Garapal’, was employed as a maintenance worker with Hard Rock Mining Company.
He was working in the pit Tuesday when the incident occurred at about 00:20h.
Investigations revealed that Pereira and his colleague Julio Peres DeAquino were working at the top of the shaft section of the mining pit.
DeAquino told the Police that they were pumping water from the tunnel which is 80 feet below the earth’s surface when the “marrack pump” choked.
As a result, Pereira was lowered into the tunnel by a remote winch and he proceeded to clear the hole.
Julio alleged that after 15 minutes had elapsed and Pereira did not signal to be winched up, an alarm was sounded and he called out for Pereira but got no response.
Julio told Police he notified the site’s manager Paulo Matis De Souza who was lowered into the tunnel when he found Pereira lying face down in an unconscious state; a rock weighing in excess of 200 lbs was on his head.
Pereira was brought to the top of the tunnel where he succumbed.
A Post Mortem Examination done on Wednesday found that Pereira of Marahao, Brazil died from “crushed injuries to the head.”
