An electrical wire snapped at the corner of Middle and East streets last night setting alight the wheels of a pick-up outside of the NP Store during a thunderstorm that triggered similar incidents across the city.
The flames on the pick-up outside of NP were quickly doused after residents responded promptly with a fire extinguisher but the electrical wire continued to spark for sometime before power to the area was cut.
With the sparking wire still trapped under the wheels of the pick-up members of the fire service, who were quick to arrive on the scene, stopped traffic and pedestrians from entering that section of East Street. Wires atop the post were also sparking at the time causing uneasiness among persons in the immediate area.
There was a storm in the city last evening accompanied by constant flashes of lightning and thunder clap but the lightning continued for several hours.
Prior to the small fire outside of NP another fire broke out on a lantern post at the corner of D’Urban and Camp streets in close proximity to a Chinese restaurant. The fire service was also on that scene but within minutes of it being doused, a wire at the corner of Camp Street and Brickdam started sparking.
“This is a whole night thing because is from one to the next”, a fireman commented at the scene. He told Stabroek News that similar incidents were being reported across the city and recalled that one had only just been reported in South Rumiveldt.
He said the storm was more than likely responsible for the electrical problems that were being reported and commented that the Guyana Power and Light needed to temporarily cut power to the areas where there were definite problems.
