Ministry launches probe into death of Sheriff St construction worker

The Ministry of Labour has launched an investigation into an incident that occurred on Tuesday morning at Buddy’s Pool Hall situated at Lot 134 Sheriff Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, where a construction worker fell from the sixth floor of the building and died.

Dead is Kevin (only name given) of Sophia, Greater Georgetown

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, stated yesterday that an investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the incident that occurred. According to the preliminary investigation, a man was demolishing a platform between the two buildings on the sixth floor. He was also on the platform at the time and subsequently fell and died. Hamilton added that the company did not report the matter to the Ministry of Labour and as a result they were summoned to do so on Monday for further investigation.

The police stated that according to the foreman, 34year-old Raj Totaram, he and a crew of fifteen workers including Kevin, were at the time separating two buildings which are joined together by a concrete walkway when the incident occurred.

Totaram told police that in separating the two buildings, Kevin was using an angle grinder to cut out a piece of steel from the walkway located on the sixth floor of the building, when the walkway suddenly collapsed and fell.

As a result the concrete pinned Kevin in the concrete rubble and he was observed lying motionless. Kevin’s body was removed with the assistance of ranks of the Guyana Fire Service. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. It was observed that he had sustained multiple injuries.

The body was escorted to Memorial Gardens Funeral Home to await a post mortem examination. Efforts are being made to contact the relatives of the deceased for assistance in identifying the body.