BY BEN BILUA
LACK of proper safety procedures and compliance has left one dead at Kahigi logging camp in Isabel Province.
Buala Police says the deceased went out for his normal working routine with his supervisor when he was hit by falling ‘rotting’ wood.
Buala Police said the deceased was rushed to Buala Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival and was transported to his home at Kolokofa in the Maringe highland district.
“The deceased was a crew of a chainsaw operator with a role to clear the bush and search for bigger trees to fell into logs for export.
“It was during the process that the deceased met his sad fate that took his life.
“A preliminary report we receive stated that the boy and his chainsaw operator were trying to escape a fallen tree and while they escape, the fallen tree hit another tree with dead branch.
“It is said that the fallen dead wood hit the deceased,” Buala police said.
Report of the fatal death has raised concern, and leaders of Isabel province are calling on Mass Pacific Logging Company who is currently operating at Kahigi to improve safety measures to avoid such incident in the future.
Leaders also called on Isabel Provincial Government and the national government to legislate tougher laws that would warrant the safety of employees working in logging camps.
Leaders strongly emphasised that a penalty must be put in place for such company who have not safety regulations and procedures.
This paper understands that this is one among many accidents that have cost lives at logging camps in Isabel province.
Attempts to get information from Buala Hospital on the cause of the death was unsuccessful yesterday.
