Electrical shock can occur under many circumstances, but when it occurs as a result of coming in contact with high voltage lines, most times it can be deadly. One laborer is tonight listed in a critical condition at the Belize Medical Associates after being electrocuted on the job. He was putting in rafters for the roof at his work-site in Bella Vista when one of the metal sheets he was installing came in contact with the high tension lines directly above. His supervisor, also a witness to the incident, told us what happened.
Aldo Cambranes
This morning we were working and the guy was upstairs about 14 feet in the ceiling. He was doing the, the roof, he was doing the roof. I was giving him the metal sheet to put into the rafters when the bally am, I just saw he was holding the metal sheet like this, when he was back-way. He was, I just si di man mi have the metal sheet touching the live wire and I just si the man gone back-way, drop. I couldn't see the man because the man mi done drop, da wah ugly thing fi explain main because the man, ah mean a even can't pick-up the man. The man was unconscious, bleeding from his head. From morning, whole day you know, everday, the boss tell we that these wires are there, these wires are there, these wires are there. But maybe this morning the man mi no aware the wire was there so I don't know what happen because you just si the man pull up the metal sheet and he touch the bloody wire.
Indira Craig
Is there anything that anybody could have done to have prevented an unfortunate accident like this?
Aldo Cambranes
No miss, nothing like that because two of we mi suppose to be up there helping the man but the next bally mi di bring up the, the material for up there.
Twenty-six year old Adolfo Palma received burns to over 40% of his body from his hands down to his feet. He had just started working on the site a mere two weeks ago. Efforts are being made by the owners of the home he was working on to get him flown out to seek treatment abroad. According to the building codes of Belize, construction should be done 10 feet away from high voltage wires to ensure safety.