OLRICK Matthews, a miner of Port Kaituma, North West District, was killed after a tree fell on him and two of his colleagues while they were working at a mining site in Sandhill, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). Reports are that the three miners were working at the Sandhill site around 12:45 hours when it started to rain heavily. It is suspected that the heavy rain coupled with high winds caused the tree to fall, hitting the men who were working in the pit. The injured men have been identified as 40-year-old Bryan Richard, a miner from a village along the Pomeroon River, and 49-year-old Edwin Garraway of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank of Demerara.
After the tree fell, other workers rushed to the scene to render assistance, but upon reaching the spot, they observed that Matthews was motionless.
A report was made and Matthews was escorted to the Bartica Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 23:00 hours.
Garraway received a fractured left hand while Richard received lacerations to his forehead. Both men remain patients of the Bartica Regional Hospital, where they are receiving treatment.