High winds, heavy rainfall uproot tree which collapsed and killed gold miner; two others injured

Heavy rainfall, coupled with high winds, uprooted a tree, which collapsed on three gold miners, working in a mining pit at Sandhill Backdam, Cuyuni River in Region Seven on Monday, killing one of them.

Dead is Olrick Matthews (age unknown) of Port Kaituma, North West District (NWD); injured are Edwin Garraway, 49, of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, and Bryan Richard, 40 Pomeroon River.

Police Headquarters reported that the incident occurred at around 12:45hrs.

Garraway sustained a fractured left hand while Richard sustained lacerations to his forehead. Both are patients at the Bartica Regional Hospital.

According to the police report, the three men are employed by Romeo King, a miner. Police said that other employees ran to assist the three men after the tree collapsed on them when they discovered Matthews motionless.

A report was made and the body was escorted to Bartica Regional Hospital where Matthews was officially pronounced dead at around 23:00 hrs.