Peter Smith, 55, a farmer from Aishalton Village, Deep South Rupununi died Thursday night in an accident at a mining site located at Marudi Backdam.
According to a statement from Police Headquarters, several persons would visit mining sites in that area during the day and at night. They would usually use hammers and chisels to break off small pieces of rock, which they would carry away in ‘salt bags’ and crush to extract pieces of raw gold.
These men were constantly chased out of the mining site but would persist in going there and allegedly made threats to shoot workers with arrows and bows.
An excavator operator who was working at one of those sites claimed to see three persons walking in the direction where some rocks had fallen with torchlights on their heads.
He said he heard a ‘crackling’ sound and saw two persons running away. He then went to the location to check and discovered the Smith’s body wedged between two big rocks.
A report was then made to the Police who visited the scene. Marks were seen on the head, neck, chest, back, and abdomen.
The body was then removed and escorted to Lethem Regional Hospital.
