Man was pinned after truck fell into creek

Uzair Khan, 19, who died on Wednesday along the Iwokrama trail, in the North Rupununi, was pinned after the accident occurred.

Police said yesterday that Khan, of Lethem, was driving a laden motor lorry across a bridge when the vehicle slid off and tumbled into a creek below, pinning him inside on Wednesday evening.

He succumbed to injuries received and his body was only removed from the wreck on Thursday afternoon.

With the accident, the bridge, located about three miles from the bridge at the Surama junction, collapsed.

The Ministry of Public Works’ Works Services Group, through the Government Information Agency (GINA), has since advised of the closure of the Kurupukari to Surama portion of the Linden to Lethem trail to heavy traffic until further notice. It said the closure is due to accidents and damage to two bridges at Moco Moco, 27 kilometres south of the Kurupukari crossing, on the Essequibo River in the Iwokrama Forest, and the bridge at the Surama junction further South.

In mid-June, the ministry had announced weight limits on the Linden to Lethem trail, given road conditions due to inclement weather. These restrictions are still in effect.