By Assan Bah
Villagers have spoken to Foroyaa on Wednesday’s electric shock that claimed the lives of seven (7) workers in Kerr Gallo village, Lower Niumi, in the North Bank Region (NBR).
According to sources the said workers, were contracted by a subcontractor called BB Electricals and they are: Ebrima Ceesay from Kiang; Karamo Touray from Kiang; Ebrima Drammeh from Brikama; Ndey Touray from Jarring Ali Fatty; Pape Sarr from Jarring Passey CRR; Jarju from Brikama; and Assan Ceesay from Njama Hassim.
Modou Penn described the incident as sad and said he was a friend to the electrocuted workers. “I know all of them and I even built a close relationship with of them.”
He said the unfortunate incident occurred while they were inserting a pole which he said got in contact the high-tension line. “While inserting the electric, it got in contact with the high-tension cable and some were holding it while others were inside the hole.
He said they must have spent some time there before people noticed the incident.
He further said during their discussions previous to the accident some told him that they were masons, and had shifted to this job because they believed this was more rewarding [monetary wise]. Some of them said they were working with this subcontractor for a while now as their first contract with him was in the Central River Region. They were working for a subcontractor. They were not staff of NAWEC.
“In normal circumstances only three or four of them can erect a pole but this time there were even drivers who usually supply the poles because it was a heavy pole which was dug several metres deep. And some of their colleagues came to support them, some were holding the pole inside the pit, others holding the chain.
Lamin Gomez from the village said when he first heard the noise from the highway he thought that they were the ones working before hearing people shouting and the fire service alarm.
He said due to the severity of the accident they struggled to hold back their tears. “I have never seen such an accident because they all died instantly, all their bodies burnt. One could not even recognise some of them.”
To him, the accident happened due to a communication gap. “I heard they used to be asked to switch off the electricity from the main generators. But on this day, they were working and were supposed to call them to off it but I know how come they did not. I believe there was a communication gap that resulted to the accident.”
Mrs Vivian Jatta, said she was at the garden when she saw smoke on the electric poles. She however, said: “none of them was on top of the pole. They dug and were erecting the poles. Because of shock I could not sleep throughout yesterday.
Subaru Senghore also from the village said even though he is not an electrician he believes something was not done the right way bas he said the pole dug in the same lime with the high-tension wire. “You cannot have these poles on the same line with high tension lines. It is almost impossible to avoid getting in contact with the high-tension line when working in the same line.
“The accident occurred while they trying to erect the electric pole, and its cover came in contact with the high tension. Seven of them were holding the pole trying to erect and when it contacted the high tension they all died instantly. They were the only ones in that area at the time and it took time to be rescued because there was a program at the village and most of the people were there.
He said they knew about the incident when a boy informed them that all those working on the electric pole have died. “We all rushed there and found all of them had died. They are the people who erected all the electric poles in our village.
“All seven died on the spot. The incident did not happen because of a wire cut but the electric pole got in contact with the high tension cable.”
