The persons who were affected when a transformer fell on a minibus at Friendship, East Bank Demerara last year say they are frustrated at the pace of the investigation and upset at the lack of concern displayed by the two companies involved.
Five months have passed since the tragedy, which claimed two lives and left several others including children nursing broken limbs, but so far no one has been held accountable.
Stabroek News understands that the police handed over their file on the incident to the DPP’s chambers several months ago.
On December 21 last, tragedy struck when two Guyana Power and Light (GPL) transformers which were reportedly not strapped onto a Guyana National Industrial Company (GNIC) truck rolled off as the vehicle completed a sharp turn as it made its way to GPL’s Garden of Eden site. One of the transformers rolled across the road and came to rest on the parapet while the other fell on the driver’s side of a Route 43 (Linden) minibus which was heading to the city.
The driver, 41-year-old Trevor Charles, died instantly while passengers including 66-year-old Kenneth Welch, his three grandchildren and Charles Paul were rushed to the hospital.
The Welch family members were admitted to the open ward of the Georgetown Hospital having suffered broken limbs but Kenneth’s condition began to deteriorate and he was transferred to the High Dependency Unit (HDU). He later lost consciousness and had to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit where he was placed on life support.
It was later discovered that the elderly man sustained injuries to his stomach. He died without regaining consciousness.
The driver of the GNIC truck was arrested shortly after the incident but was released several days later.
Five months after the mishap, victims are still affected by the injuries they had sustained.
Can’t work
Paul, a Grove resident, told Stabroek News last week that he cannot work because of the injury to his hand. He said that the bone in his left hand was broken in numerous places and it is now painful to lift heavy items.
“Right now me hand can’t move,” the man said, adding that it had become so frustrating for him since he cannot bring in an income to support his family and the two companies involved are refusing to help him out.
With respect to GNIC, Paul said that he went to the company to see officials there to seek some assistance but was sent away. Over at GPL he said, “All they doing is got me round and round de place… I am a seaman and I can’t wuk.”
He said that he cannot go back to his regular career because his hand would not be able to take the pressure.
“Nobody ain’t checking pon me. All the lil money I had, I don use up. This is so frustrating because I got my loan and my mortgage to pay,” he said, with anger evident in his tone.
Paul said he has a family to maintain and bills to pay and so it has not been easy on him.
Asked what he would like to see come out of the situation, he said that either one or both of the companies could come up with a reasonable settlement to help him out.
“Them companies is big companies. They are not no small flour factory or anything like that. They can afford to give me something to help me out,” he said, adding that he had gone to the Grove Police Station on many occasions to enquire about the case and was told that the report was sent to the DPP.
He told this newspaper that at the DPP chambers he is never given any information and it appears that nothing will come of the matter.
The frustrated man said that it is unfair for him to have to be suffering in this way when his injuries did not come about from any carelessness on his part but rather the recklessness of the two companies.
Vanessa, the daughter of Kenneth, the 66-year-old who succumbed to his injuries days after the incident, said that so far neither of the companies has contacted her nor did she make an attempt to get in touch with them.
She that that she is not satisfied with the pace of the investigations, adding that the two companies “should have a conscience, take responsibility and help out.”
She informed Stabroek News that her niece Rianna and nephews Romanio and Robert are still suffering as a result of their injuries.
The woman explained that Rianna experiences constant headaches while the boys’ feet which were broken are not fully healed.
She said though the boys have returned to school, they are not walking properly.
Added to that, Vanessa said, the accident has left the children traumatized as they are afraid to travel in vehicles.
Similarly, Michelle Sealey, the mother of Charles’ children, said that so far the family has not heard from either company.
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Contacted on Friday, CEO of GPL Bharrat Dindyal said that an April 27 advertisement in the Chronicle newspaper inviting bids for an insurance policy has nothing to do with the Friendship mishap. Dindyal said that it has to do with an insurance policy for the company’s generating equipment.
The advertisement stated that the company was inviting sealed bids from insurance brokers for the placement of insurance coverage for GPL’s assets in the form of an “All Risks Property and Business Interruption Policy from reputable international firms”. Dindyal added that the policy being advertised for is one of the company’s most important policies.
He explained that over the last few years that policy was being handled by a broker based in Barbados “but we received an unsolicited proposal which was for less than we were paying.”
Asked about the Friendship accident, Dindyal said that the company has policies that cover third party risks but stressed that in this instance the question of liability would arise since the transformers were being transported by a vehicle from another company.
Following the accident both companies refused to accept responsibility stressing that they will wait until the police have completed their investigations.
Although GNIC had denied responsibility for the tragedy they assisted with the funeral arrangements and vowed to help the victims in whatever way they could.
