5 men arrested for suspected negligence
By Lamin Cham
Police in Banjul have arrested five men who are being investigated for possible negligence after two boys were found dead in a truck loaded with sand at the sand mining site at Denton Bridge.
According to reliable sources, the incident happened on Friday. “Apparently the two boys were driver- apprentices who fell asleep in the lorry as it arrived to be loaded with sand at the site. No one remembered them until the lorry was fully loaded and was about to depart. It was then that someone said the boys were last seen sleeping on the floor of the truck as it was driving to the sand mining site. That realisation sparked a panic button because the lorry was already loaded to capacity with sand. The driver tipped the full load of sand off the vehicle, and there in the mist of the off-loaded sand dune, the two boys were found. They were rushed to the Ndemban referral clinic of the EFSTH in Bakau where they were pronounced dead,” our source, quoting eye witnesses, said. Our source said five men were arrested instantly and are being held for possible negligence.
The Standard contacted the police Spokesperson Cadet ASP Binta Njie- Jatta who confirmed the incident. She also confirmed that five people including the driver, a 39-year-old man, are in custody helping investigations into the tragedy.
The police PRO revealed that the dead boys were Alieu Cham, 19, from Bjilo and Lewis Mendy, 18, from Brusubi, both of them, driver- apprentices. She gave no further details.
A source close to the site said it is the second time a fatal incident occurred at the site involving a sand mining truck.
