Over a month has passed since a transformer fell from a moving truck onto a bus at Friendship, East Bank Demerara, resulting in two dying and others nursing broken limbs but so far neither of the two companies involved has accepted responsibility.
Officials from the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL), the owner of the transformer and the Guyana National Industrial Corpor-ation (GNIC) which was transporting it recently told this newspaper that they will not be accepting blame at this point.
While GNIC continues to comment on the matter when asked, GPL remains silent stressing that no comment will be made until the police findings are completed.
Stabroek News was unable to ascertain from the police yesterday, just how far the investigation has gone.
Speaking to this newspaper recently, GNIC’s Human Resources Manager Alan Johnson said police have not completed their report and so they will not be dealing with the issue of assistance at this time.
Johnson expressed dissatisfaction that the police are taking so long to have the report completed while persons who sustained injuries and suffered losses continue to suffer.
He told this newspaper that the truck which was transporting the transformer was insured and the insurance company has since said that once they are given instructions to pay compensation they will do so. He said that the situation will also be handled by the company’s lawyers.
“Once instructions are given for us to pay once the police investigation is completed we will pay those injured compensation,” Johnson stated.
Meanwhile when contact was made with GPL, an official would only say that the company will not comment on the issue until the police investigation has been completed.
Charles Paul, a passenger of the bus had approached both companies for assistance since he is unable to work after sustaining a broken hand. He was told that nothing could be done until the police findings are completed.
As a result of the broken hand, Paul has been unable to work to support his family and had told this newspaper that he is clueless as to how long he will remain in this state.
On December 21 last, tragedy struck on the East Bank public road at Friendship when two transformers which were reportedly not strapped onto the vehicle rolled off the truck transporting them. At the time, the truck was completing a sharp turn in the road 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 mini-bus 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 Paul were rushed to the hospital.
The driver of the GNIC truck was arrested shortly after the incident and taken to the Grove Police Station. He was however released several days later.
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 Hugh Dependency Unit (HDU). It took another turn for the worse when he 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.
Although GNIC had denied responsibility for the tragedy they assisted with the funeral arrangements, vowing to help the victims in whatever way they could.
