THE police are investigating the tragic death of a 28-year-old Cuban man, Dayrovis Martinez Mendoza, who was killed on Monday morning when a concrete fence collapsed on him at a construction site on the Railway Embankment at Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara.
The incident occurred around 11:30hrs at a private property where a supermarket and residential complex are being developed. According to investigators, the property was leased to Chinese businessman, 49-year-old Xie Guohui, under a 40-year agreement signed on October 7, 2024.

Guohui, who has more than 15 years of construction experience, told the police that he had hired six Spanish-speaking labourers, though he did not record their names. He said construction began about two months ago and that he personally supervised the works. However, he was unwell and absent from the site at the time of the collapse.
Guohui reported receiving a call around 11:50hrs informing him that the eastern fence—approximately 15 feet high and 120 feet long—had given way. He was unable to say what caused the failure.

Eyewitnesses recounted that several workers were on site when the wall suddenly crumbled, trapping Mendoza under the rubble. Police and Fire Service ranks responded promptly, breaking through the concrete to pull the victim out. The site was combed to ensure no one else was trapped, but no additional victims were found.
Shortly after the incident, Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, the Honourable Keoma Griffith, Assistant Chief Occupational Health and Safety Officer, Mr. Roydon Croal, and a team from the Ministry of Labour visited the location and conducted an inspection.

Mendoza’s body was later removed by undertakers and taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.
Investigations are ongoing