2 miners feared dead after being trapped in cave-in pit

Two miners are feared trapped following a mining pit cave-in at St Elizabeth Backdam, Potaro, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), on Saturday afternoon. Police said the incident occurred at about 15:23h at a mining operation in the area. The trapped men have been identified as Franky Hussain, 32, a pork-knocker from the North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini) and Neunes Neunes Da Silva, 38, a Brazilian national who was also employed as a pork-knocker. Preliminary investigations revealed that the two men were working in a mining pit approximately 60 feet deep along with several other workers when sections of the eastern and western walls of the pit reportedly collapsed. According to police, the other workers managed to escape from the pit. However, Hussain and Da Silva became trapped beneath the fallen debris. The collapse also reportedly buried an excavator that was operating in the pit.
Recovery efforts are currently underway by the owner of the mining operation and other workers at the site in an attempt to reach the trapped men.
Police said that ranks and representatives of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) were in the area assisting with the response as investigations continue.
In May, Ryan Roberts of Kwaimatta Village in the North Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) died after a mining pit at Chi Chi Backdam, Upper Mazaruni River (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) collapsed.
In April, Labour and Manpower Planning Minister Keoma Griffith disclosed that 13 workplace fatalities and 64 non-fatal incidents were recorded between January and April 2026.
Addressing an Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Symposium at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), the Minister described the figures as “deeply troubling” and called for stricter compliance with workplace safety protocols. Griffith had said the increase in workplace incidents underscored the need for a shift from “reactive compliance” to a culture focused on prevention, accountability and zero tolerance for unsafe practices.
He noted that the Government intends to strengthen enforcement measures, expand the inspectorate’s reach, and modernise occupational safety and health policies to address evolving workplace risks.
The Minister also revealed that between 2020 and 2025, the Ministry conducted 6186 OSH inspections across various sectors, benefiting more than 27,000 workers nationwide.