Tonight there are a lot of unhappy residents on Guerrero Street, Ross Penn Road, and Rivero Street. That is because just before 3 pm there was a massive power surge in the area which blew out a lot of their appliances. But Belize Electricity Limited isn’t to blame. A contractor who was in the area hauling metal from Kraal Road damaged what’s called the neutral line – which caused a power spike for the current entering homes; that shot from 110 to 220 kilovolts. It was a fatal spike for many appliances and the irate homeowners called 7NEWS and told us they saw smoke coming from their TVs, microwaves, and computers.
Stanley Moody, Claims TV was Blown Out
“I watching the TV and the TV blow out and I want a brand new TV. I don’t care who blow it, just give me a brand new TV in the morning. The TV started to smoke and when it smoked I turned off the switch box because I know something went wrong. When I came out I saw a big truck with some old cars touch the high tension wire and everyone’s TV in the area blow out and these people’s computer blow out. I have a big TV that was blown out and I just want them to refund me back with a finance for my TV. I will take $600.”
Danna Young, Appliances Damaged
“I went to lie down to get some rest to go to work tonight and in
the quickness I heard like sparkles and I flew outside and my baby told me it was the TV. I flew straight on the verandah and they said it was that big truck which was taking some old iron and stuff hooked up in the wire. So when I inside back the fan was smoking in the room. I hurried tell my baby to out the switch box and that is what we did. The neighbors came out and we came and ask the men who were working with the old irons what happened and everybody started to talk for their rights and said we need to be compensated.”
Roderick Eligio, Computer Damaged
“I saw smoke from out of a couple of my outlets which I immediately ran and unplugged and went upstairs and took off my master control switch. I think that saved me but the rest of neighbors around the house came out immediately shouting and trying to bring some sort of order to this. I think I may have lost a laptop but most of the neighbors, I have a list here, and this list is indicating what all we have lost. This includes stuff like TVs, microwaves, computer sets, a lot of refrigs, ceiling fans, and radios.”
The homeowners say they’ve contacted the contractor and he’s promised to meet with them tomorrow morning.
