The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) company responded promptly to the situation in which one of its utility poles fell onto a house at Lot 1A Guyhoc Park on Thursday evening, causing considerable damage to the property and minor injuries to its occupants.
Shortly after 19:30hrs on Thursday, the wood ants-infested pole broke from its base and fell onto the house owned and occupied by Chad Rodrigues and his wife, Atasha, and their three children.
Minutes later on receiving the report made by Chad Rodrigues, GPL dispatched an emergency crew to the scene of the disaster and an assessment of the situation was done. Temporary arrangements were put in place, which saw electricity being restored to a section of the community.
The workers returned to the area early yesterday morning and got to work. By 10:00hrs, they had replaced the broken utility pole with a new one, and power was fully restored to the neighbourhood.  The crew also repaired the family’s damaged fence, and has promised to return today to repair the damaged roof of the building.
Mrs. Rodrigues said that when the lamp-post landed on her house, the electric wires began sparking and fire quickly began spreading. The mother, who was at the time, speaking with a neighbour out in the yard, said that when the pole hit the  house and she saw the network of dangling wires, her immediate and greatest fear was for the safety of  her three children – Catasha 12; Cateshe 8 and Emanuel 4, who were inside.
She ran towards the building to get them, as the terrified sisters scampered to get through the door over which the sparking post hung dangerously.  But, little Emanuel, impulsively, jumped over the verandah and was caught by a neighbour.
She thanked the efforts of the kind-hearted neighbours, who even before the arrival of the fire department’s units, put out the fire using buckets of sand. However, the woman yesterday said that she and her 12-year-old daughter suffered injuries which included burns and bruises and were treated at a hospital. Notwithstanding, she said, they were all badly traumatized by the incident and are trying to get over it.
Mrs. Rodrigues and other residents of Guyhoc Park were loud in praise for the Guyana Chronicle for making prompt representation on their behalf on the night of the incident.
As a result of the incident, GPL plans to have a press conference on Monday.
Once out of danger and snug up on his father’s back, four-year old Emmanuel recalling the horrifying incident, told reporters, “When I see de fire, I jump over de verandah and a man catch me.”
Meanwhile, contacted yesterday, GPL’s Public Relations Officer, Ms. Chevonne Sears Murray, who, on behalf of the company expressed regrets over the incident, and said the company views the situation with much concern. Having completed initial repairs, she assured that the Guyana Power and Light was making efforts to have the roof to the Rodrigues’ home repaired as soon as possible.
Reacting to other residents’ complaints yesterday, that more poles in the neighbourhood were infested with wood-ants and needed to be changed, the PRO said that since the company is not always aware when these things happen, consumers are asked to bring it to GPL’s attention as soon as possible.
“Consumers can call the Technical Call Centre at Sophia on telephone numbers:  226-4015 or 226-4016, and make their reports,” she advised.