Investigations are ongoing into the tragic death of the four crew members of that cargo ship, who died last Wednesday night in the engine room of a small cargo vessel.

Post mortem examinations were carried out on the remains this week. News Source understands that the Pathologist listed suspected chemical inhalation as the cause of death, but also ordered that toxicology tests be carried out to confirm the findings.

The tragedy has triggered a widespread investigation, which includes the Ministry of Labour. On Monday, Minister of Labour, Keoma Griffith told reporters that the investigators from his Ministry are still awaiting the investigation report from the Police.

“The investigation is still ongoing and we are awaiting the final report from the Police, and as soon as we have more information, we will share with the media”, Griffith said.

The four dead men were identified as 18-year-old Brandon Deonarine, 57-year-old Nerwaine Persaud, 33-year-old Dominic Alexis and 25-year-old Getindra Sanchara.

Two of them were seamen, while one was the captain of the vessel and the fourth man was an engineer.

According to a Police statement, preliminary investigations indicated that the men were inspecting a dry space within the engine room of the vessel when they were reportedly exposed to suspected noxious fumes and collapsed.

The Police investigation found that Brandon Deonarine and Nerwaine Persaud initially entered the engine room and subsequently collapsed.

After they collapsed, Dominic Alexis entered the engine room in an attempt to render assistance but also collapsed.

The Police said 25-year-old Getindra Sanchara was the last to enter the engine room in a further attempt to assist and he also collapsed in the room.

An alarm was raised by other crew members and Emergency Medical Technicians, along with the Guyana Fire Service, responded to the scene.

The Police said the four men were removed from the vessel and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where they were pronounced dead by a doctor on duty.

Maritime and Health and Safety investigators have visited the scene as part of the investigations.

Meanwhile, family members of the dead men are calling for a much wider probe that examines the safety practices and the safety equipment that should have been employed aboard the vessel.

The family wants to know what safety measures were in place for workers entering enclosed or confined spaces on the vessel, and whether the four men were provided with proper protective equipment, including breathing apparatus, gas detectors, and safety vests by their employers.

They have also raised concern about the silence of the company where the four men worked, and whether the company will be providing assistance to the grieving families.

Family members say they also want a full site visit and inspection by the Labour Ministry with close attention being paid to safety hazards that may have existed.

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