Guyanese sailor crushed to death

STACY MOORE

A GUYANESE sailor was crushed to death early yesterday morning at Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) port in Claxton Bay. Doodnauth Persaud, 44, was declared dead at the San Fernando General Hospital minutes after his body was removed from under a crane.

According to police, at about 2.40 am Persaud and another worker, Ravi Persad, were loading cement unto a Guyanese boat at the TCL port when the accident happened. While Persaud was loading the cement, the crane pinned him against the railing of the boat.

Other workers were able to lift the crane off the injured man’s body but he was unresponsive, police said. Persaud was taken to hospital where he died around 3.50 am. An autopsy is expected to be done tomorrow to determine the cause of death. Cpl Singh of the St Margaret’s Police Station is investigating.

In a media release issued yesterday afternoon, TCL’s Group Communications Manager, Michelle Langton, expressed condolences to the victim’s family.

She said, “an accident resulting in a fatality, occurred on a third party vessel which was being loaded at the company’s Claxton Bay port facility.

“No injuries were sustained by any other crew member.”

Langton said TCL has launched a full investigation into the accident, is following all necessary protocols and fully cooperating with the authorities, including the police and the OSH agency.