Two die in pit collapse at Kamarang Landing

A dredge owner and one of his workers are dead after the mining pit they were working in collapsed at Kamarang Landing, Upper Mazaruni on Wednesday night.

Dead are of Trayon Hastings, 38, of Kamarang Landing, Upper Mazaruni and Rocky Norton. Hastings owned the six-inch land dredge mining operation. He employed Norton.

The News Room was informed that the incident occurred at about 22:30hrs at Moonlight Backdam, Kamarang Landing

Reports reaching the News Room revealed that a 37-year-old miner of Kitty, Georgetown was at a nearby camp when he observed that the mining pit was caving in.

At the time, only Hastings and Norton were working in the pit.

An alarm was immediately raised and a search party was organized with the assistance of two excavators.

And after hours of searching, the bodies of the two men were recovered minutes apart.

Hastings’ body bore injuries to his abdomen and head while Norton sustained injuries to his right ear.

Both bodies were escorted to the Kamarang District Hospital where the men were pronounced dead.

A Police investigation is ongoing.