Bodies recovered following mining pit collapse

The bodies of Sherwayne Joseph and Imran Blake, the two men who lost their lives after a mining pit collapse, have been recovered.

The News Room was informed that the bodies were retrieved around 13:45 hrs after the incident which occurred at the St. Elizabeth Backdam, Potaro, Region Eight (Potaro- Siparuni).

Reports are that bruises were seen on parts of the bodies. Both men were taken to the Mahdia Hospital where they were pronounced dead by a doctor on duty.

Joseph, 26, and Blake, 19, along with seven other workers were on the night shift at an eight-inch dredging operation.

The Ministry of Labour Occupational Safety and Health department is investigating the collapse. The dredge was unregistered.

Police said three other workers were in the pit when a co-worker said he heard a rumbling sound and noticed that land/soil had broken away and started to fall into the mining pit.

The worker told investigators that he raised an alarm alerting the workers in the pit.

The land covered Joseph and Blake and buried them beneath, though the other three workers in the pit managed to escape.