Agaffi Obermuller, the young father of one who was injured on Tuesday, at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), when the house he was working on collapsed on him, is currently at home recovering.
Steffi Obermuller, the injured man’s sister, yesterday told Stabroek News that Agaffi had been treated and discharged by the Georgetown Public Hospital on Tuesday evening, hours after the incident.
However, she said after he was still experiencing pains about his body, mainly in his chest, Agaffi sought a second opinion at a private city hospital. There, he underwent several tests which showed that everything was normal.
When Stabroek News visited the scene of the collapsed house yesterday, several workers were seen clearing away the rubble. It was related to this newspaper that work at the site is expected to recommence soon.
While efforts made by this newspaper to contact the Neighborhood Democratic Council (NDC) to enquire whether permission had been sought to begin work at the location proved futile, it was learnt that the owner of the building has since received a cease order from the NDC.
Obermuller, 22, of Lot 15 Ogle, ECD, sustained injuries about his body, including to his head, shoulder and back, at around 10.30am Tuesday after the house collapsed, partially pinning him.
Stabroek News had previously been told that Obermuller was sitting under the house when the structure collapsed, partially pinning him. At the time, four other employees were present, but they managed to escape unhurt. The house, this newspaper was told, is owned by the proprietor of Davo Lumber yard.
Steffi Obermuller said that she and some other relatives were sitting together when they heard a loud sound. She explained that upon enquiring, they noticed that the roof of the house under construction was down. As a result, they immediately rushed to scene and found Agaffi trapped under the collapsed structure.
“He was down and like them beam for the house at the side was on his shoulder, so it wasn’t like his whole body,” Steffi related.
She said that an alarm was raised, and with the assistance of neighbours and her father, Agaffi was rescued and taken to the hospital.
Steffi noted that her brother told relatives that he had noticed faults in a beam and had brought it to the contractor’s attention, but no one paid him any mind.
“My brother saying that he told the contractor guy that the beams too small, too fine to hold up the house, the structure, and they didn’t do nothing about it. So, it wasn’t strong enough, it came down,” she said.
The Occupational Health and Safety Unit of the Department of Labour has since intervened and is investigating the matter.
