A 36-year-old father of two, of Diamond Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara was yesterday morning electrocuted while attempting to connect several wires close to a trench.
The man, whose name was given as Rampaul aka ‘Rammo’, was discovered shortly after 10 am yesterday by passers-by close to the trench, which separates the squatting area from Great Diamond, with several pieces of wire in his hand.
Residents in the community gave another version of how the man met his demise, some persons stating that Rampaul was attempting to connect a water main which passes over the trench when the cutlass he was using came into contact with the electrical wire. However, a pair of cutting pliers and a roll of insulation tape were discovered near to the man’s body.
The area around the man’s neck was badly bruised, and according to a resident, when the man’s body was discovered, the wire was wrapped around his neck.
When Stabroek News arrived at the community called ‘Sea Dam’, situated behind the Diamond Diagnostic Hospital, scores of people from the village converged on the scene to get a glimpse of the man’s body as police ranks and a team of officials from the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) conducted investigations. According to a resident in the area, he was at home around 10 am yesterday when he heard that someone from the village was electrocuted and on investigating he saw the man’s body lying next to the trench.
According to the man when he arrived at the scene, he made an attempt to pull the body from the trench but he soon observed the roll of wire next to the man’s body and he retreated. He said Rampaul’s son went to his house earlier to purchase an aerated beverage and on inquiring from the lad about his father’s whereabouts, the child told him that his father was at home. He said a few minutes later he received a call from another resident who informed him of the incident. Rampaul, his wife, his 7-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter had been living in the area for some seven years.
Rampaul’s wife related that her husband left home around 7:30 yesterday but he did not inform her as to where he was going. She said she was told by her neighbour that something had happened to her husband and that he was lying dead in the grass near to the trench. On inquiring, she related, her worst fears were confirmed. Neighbours, meantime, gathered outside of the man’s home to give support to the family.
Around 12:30 pm yesterday, Rampaul’s mother arrived at the scene and on noticing her son’s body she broke down in tears as relatives attempted to comfort her. Shortly after, undertakers from the Lyken’s Funeral home arrived to remove the man’s body.
Rampaul leaves to mourn his mother, his wife and two children.
Investigations into the incident are continuing.
