27-year-old miner from Korovou, Tavua, Shakir Aktar received injuries while working underground on the 7th of this month and died at CWM hospital on Friday.
The deceased’s father Aktar Ali said the family is still in shock and cannot believe the sudden passing away of his youngest son.
Ali said his 3 grandchildren who are still young do not know that their father will not be coming back.
He said the children are also without their father this Eid following the tragic incident at the mine.
In another incident last Tuesday, a 35-year-old employee of Vatukoula Gold Mine lost his life in a fatal accident at the mine.
A family friend, Umesh Prasad said the 35-year-old Ravinesh Singh was looking after his wife and 2 younger brothers in Yasiyasi, Tavua, as their parents had passed away.
In a statement, Vatukoula Gold Mine General Manager David Whittle confirmed that both Police and Mineral Resources Department officials have started an investigation surrounding the circumstances of the incident.
He added that as long as investigations are continuing, no conclusions can be drawn as yet.
On the safety of workers, Vatukoula Gold Mine said the mining industry is a high-risk environment and they strive for the constant implementation of effective training to identify and deal with potential hazards to minimize risk to an acceptable level.
Story by: Praneeta Prakash
