The Ministry of Labour and Manpower Management has launched an investigation into the deaths of two miners following another mining pit collapse at St. Elizabeth Backdam, Potaro, Region #8, less than two years after a similar incident.
Minister of Labour and Manpower Management, Keoma Griffith, told the Guyana Standard that an investigation has been launched and that the bodies of the two miners were found on Monday morning.
The Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) are among the teams assisting with the investigation.
The miners have been identified as Franky Hussain, a 32-year-old from North West District, Region #1, and Neunes Da Silva, a 38-year-old Brazilian national.
Police said the two men were working alongside others in a mining pit about 60 feet deep when sections of the eastern and western walls collapsed. While the other workers managed to escape, Hussain and Da Silva were trapped under the fallen debris, which also covered an excavator.
In August 2024, two miners, Imran Blake and Sherwayne Joseph, lost their lives after the same mining pit collapsed at St. Elizabeth Backdam, Potaro, Region #8.
Member of Parliament Sharma Solomon, APNU’s Natural Resources representative, noted in a press statement that 13 workplace fatalities and 64 non-fatal incidents were recorded between January and April 2026. In May, he noted that four mining related deaths occurred.
Solomon said Hussain and Da Silva brought the death toll at that location to four in under two years. He questioned who is accountable, who owns the operation, and why it continued without proper scrutiny after the first tragedy. Solomon argued that if adequate monitoring, enforcement, and safety oversight had been implemented following the 2024 fatalities, two more families would not be grieving now.
While acknowledging the inherent risks of mining, he said it is hard to accept repeated pit collapses, accidents, and deaths despite the government’s claims of strong efforts by agencies such as GGMC.
The statement emphasizes that while the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning and the GGMC both have roles in protecting workers and enforcing mining safety, tragedies often lead only to investigations, speeches, and promises rather than concrete action.
Solomon stated that Guyana’s mining expansion must be matched with stronger oversight through more technical staff and better capacity, including mine inspectors, geotechnical specialists, safety officers, engineers, and trained technicians. He questioned whether these agencies are properly equipped and empowered to prevent accidents, noting staff shortages reported at both GGMC and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in their 2025 organizational charts.
In the statement, he demanded public answers on unresolved issues, including a completed labour report related to complaints at Guyana Goldfields, which the Minister previously said he could not review, and investigation outcomes for the quarrying sector where concerns about labour conditions in Region 7 were raised.
The MP emphasized that workers deserve prevention and accountability, not just condolences after deaths, and argued that investigations without conclusions or published findings weaken public trust.
The Small Miners Association Guyana Inc. (SMAGI) extended condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the two miners following the tragedy. SMAGI highlighted the importance of adhering to safe mining practices and called on dredge owners, operators, and miners to take necessary precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees.
“While mining remains a vital contributor to our nation’s development, profits must never come at the expense of human life. Let us all recommit ourselves to responsible and safe mining practices so that every miner has the opportunity to return home safely to their families,” SMAGI said.
