–expresses willingness to compensate
Discussions are underway to provide financial compensation to the daughter of a construction worker who died in Wednesday night’s building collapse at Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara, as investigations into the incident intensify.
Dead is Radish Domingo, 46, a carpenter of Mon Repos, who was killed when the structure under construction collapsed, leaving seven other workers injured.
Businessman Omprakash Shivraj, under whose supervision the project was being undertaken, confirmed that dialogue has already begun with the family of the deceased.
He told the Guyana Chronicle that the incident occurred while workers were pouring concrete on the upper section of the building when it suddenly gave way.
Shivraj said the accident happened suddenly, adding that Domingo was pinned beneath the debris while others were injured and rushed to the hospital.
The businessman disclosed that Domingo, who was divorced and the father of one child, had been living alone on the East Coast Demerara and working on the project as a migrant labourer.
He further indicated that he is fully cooperating with investigators, including the Guyana Police Force and officials from the Ministry of Labour, who have since visited the site.
While initial police reports described the structure as a two-storey building, residents told this publication the edifice appeared to be a four-storey structure that was rapidly being erected over the past two months.
A nearby resident, Daniel Williams, said he heard a loud rumbling sound on Wednesday evening before learning that the building had collapsed.
When the Guyana Chronicle visited the scene on Thursday, trucks were observed removing debris, including concrete blocks and steel, while several workers were transported away from the site.
Police have since confirmed that a full investigation is underway into the collapse, which occurred around 19:10 hrs. Domingo was later pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation after being pulled from the rubble.
His body is currently at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination.
CCTV footage from the area has been identified and is expected to form part of the ongoing probe.
