Four persons died after a bush truck lost power and fell into a ravine while travelling along the Barama Road (Barima/Waini) headed to an interior mining camp yesterday before noon.
Richard Doobay, 33 years of Rivertown, Pamela Solomon, 41 years of Sophia, George Persaud of Berbice and Audrey Evans of Supenaam were crushed when the truck toppled. They were pinned down while an excavator was brought to remove the truck.
Seven people were eventually treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital for spinal, back, leg and hand injuries. Benedict Leonard of Cornelia Ida, Kavita Kingling of Wales, Orlando Brown of West Bank Demerara, Michael Garnett of Corriverton, Andre Abel of Mahaicony and Leroy Sealy of Sister’s Village were all treated for a range of injuries. According to the GPHC five of the injured were seen and discharged while two were admitted, however not with life threatening injuries.
Wayne Blake the organiser responsible for trucking the 16 passengers that were in the truck, food and other supplies into the camp told Stabroek News of the passengers that “I was just taking them in I don’t really know who and who they all are”. He did note that the truck lost power multiple times and on the hazardous roadway without proper brakes the truck crashed.
This area has seen a large number of fatal accidents in recent months with increasing numbers of persons trekking into the gold fields.
