A security officer attached to one of the bonded warehouses and seconded to Container Terminal port, was in the early hours of yesterday crushed to death where he was sleeping during night operation while another believed to be a dockworker with one of the stevedoring companies also died in his sleep.
Vanguard investigation revealed that the security man whose identity could not be ascertained as at press time, was said to have slept in between two containers without the knowledge of his colleagues.
A source told Vanguard that his colleagues unaware of this development had continued with their operation and the incident may have occurred during the process of lifting and loading of containers. The source disclosed that since the work was being done at night and the area was not properly lit, the body was not discovered till day break.
As for the dockworker he was said to have completed his job for the day and he and other colleagues had gone to rest until day break. However, while others got up to prepare for their journey home, the dockworker identified as Mr. Friday Abos did not. Attempts to wake him according to the source, proved abortive, as he was discovered to have died hours earlier.
The Port Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Gab Afokwalam, who spoke with Vanguard on phone, confirmed the death of the dockworker and his identity. Afokwalam further said that the deceased died a natural death but refused to give details, assuring that the port police would issue a statement on it today. The police image maker however refused to comment on the alleged death of the security officer.
A source in the management of container terminal port confirmed the death of the two persons. The source told Vanguard that the dockworker was believed to have died a natural death while the other was a private security man attached to a bonded warehouse, on night duty.
The management staff said that activities of fork lift operators may have resulted in his death because he was believed to have been sleeping between containers, unknown to others working that night. He explained that they are still investigating the matter and that further details would be provided later.
