A 64-year-old miner of Subryanville, Georgetown, has succumbed to the injuries he sustained when a mining pit collapsed at the Micobie Backdam, Region Eight, on Friday.

According to information from the Guyana Police Force, the miner, Donald Gouveia, and three other persons were working in a sandy soil mining pit at around 12:00 hours, when the pit, which measures about 60 feet in diameter and 70 feet in depth, caved in and covered 15 feet of the depth.

“At the time, Donald was jetting when the western pit wall collapsed and caved in, and in the process covered him. His co-workers were partly covered, namely: Keith James (above his waist), Frencivaldo Santos (above his chest area) and Junior Daniels (just above his knees). They were assisted by other workers, including Mark Gouveia,” Police Headquarters noted in a statement on Tuesday.

Police said James, Santos, and Daniels managed to free themselves without any injury. However, Donald, who was extracted from the pit in an unconscious state, was rushed to the Micobie Health Centre and immediately referred to the Mahdia District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Gouveia’s body was subsequently escorted via aircraft from the Mahdia Airstrip to Ogle Airport, then to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.