Region 9 miner dies after mining pit collapse

Police are investigating a fatal mining incident that claimed the life of a 25-year-old miner at Chi Chi Backdam, Upper Mazaruni River (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), on Tuesday afternoon.
Dead is Ryan Roberts of Kwaimatta Village in the North Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
Roberts died after a section of land collapsed in a mining pit where he was working with several other miners at about 14:45h on Tuesday.
According to preliminary investigations, the workers were operating in the pit when a water hose reportedly burst, and as efforts were being made to secure the area, a portion of the land suddenly gave way.
The other workers managed to escape, but Roberts became trapped beneath the collapsed soil. Workers later dug him out of the pit, but he was found unresponsive.
His body was taken to the Chinowing Health Centre, where he was examined and pronounced dead on arrival by the medical personnel on duty.
Police investigations are ongoing.
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 Symposium at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, the Minister described the figures as “deeply troubling” and called for stricter compliance with workplace safety protocols.
Griffith 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 occupational safety and health inspections across various sectors, benefiting more than 27,000 workers nationwide.
In April, 46-year-old carpenter Radish Domingo was killed and several others injured after a building under construction collapsed at Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara.