Two miners perish in pit accident at Kumung Kumung backdam

A scene form the area (Police photo)
A scene form the area (Police photo)

Two miners died in a mining pit accident in the Kumung Kumung Backdam, Puruni River, Region Seven on Friday afternoon.

The police today named the dead miners as Troy Scott, a  44-year-old male from Linden and Seon Martin, a 32-year-old male from Lethem.

The incident occurred at about 3.30 pm. The police said that investigations thus far have revealed that the two deceased men were employed by  Rhyburn Elcock, a 42-year-old miner/businessman of Rahaman’s Park, EBD on his 6” Land Dredge.

Martin, who was the General Manager for the operation, was operating the jetting hose while Scott was operating the Marrock hose in the mining pit which is about 25 feet in depth when suddenly the land caved-in, trapping them beneath.

The other workers were able to escape unhurt. They then pulled the two men from beneath the overburden by which time they had succumbed.

The bodies were taken to the Bartica Hospital yesterday.