Linden footballer Troy Richards, popularly known as “Kang,” was electrocuted last night during a disruption in the power supply to Blue Berry Hill.
While some residents suffered electrical shocks, 35-year-old Richards, who plays for the Silver Shattas Football Club, died shortly after 7pm at his girlfriend’s house at 998 Blue Berry Hill. According to his girlfriend Adjoua Duke, Richards went into the house to unplug the fridge. “He asked me if I pull out everything and a tell he deh only thing I didn’t pull out was the fridge and is go he go fuh pull it out…he dead, he dead.. [I] shoulda tell he fuh lef it,” she said.
Stabroek News understands that the area was experiencing electrical problems and the power was constantly on and off and at instances there was low voltage. Several persons living in the area said that just a few minutes before the tragic incident they saw the earth wires to the home on fire. One resident said that their homes were vibrating heavily from the humming of the electricity emanating form the power lines. Another said realizing their plight, she proceeded to turn off all the switches in her home but at the first attempt she noticed that electricity was live on the switch and ran out of the house screaming.
Another woman said that her child attempted to unplug their fridge and was shocked. Everyone in the neighbourhood started shouting to each other, warning against touching anything in the homes. Shortly after, Richards was seen passing through a track heading to his girlfriend’s house when he noticed fire on the electrical lines in several of the neighbouring yards and advised residents to unplug their appliances and stay inside; the very advice he later gave to his girlfriend.
Duke said Richards had taken off his shoe and went into the house to unplug the fridge when she heard him shout, “`Ouch!’ ran inside and see he hold the plug shaking. I hold han to he and I start getting shock too and I had fuh loose he.”
The origin of the electrical problem in the area is unknown but having received reports of the incident electricians rushed to the scene and disconnected power lines from all the houses in the area. Residents said that the fire fighters were the first on the scene after receiving reports that there were fires in the yards of residents.
Richards was an electrician working on the construction of the new Linden hospital. His boss, who was at the hospital, described him as a very careful worker, who took every precaution. “Dah man never get shock doing he job! I can’t believe dis; dis can’t be.”
Richards had just finish his usual practice on the football field and had gone to keep his girlfriend’s company until her mother returned home from attending classes in Georgetown.
