A man was electrocuted as he worked on the Airport Gateway Project yesterday morning, authorities said.
Officials said it happened when a truck he was working on came into contact with an overhead power line.
The victim, identified only as a 48-year-old Jamaican man, was working near the intersection of Blake Road and John F. Kennedy Drive when the accident occurred.
According to a worker on the site, the victim was helping unload fill from a truck.
The man, who did not want to be identified, said the victim pulled a lever on the truck to release the fill. That’s when the truck made contact with the electrical line.
When The Nassau Guardian arrived on the scene, the spot where he was reportedly standing when he pulled the lever was black and burnt.
The tires on the truck were also burnt.
The driver of the truck was unharmed.
Police said the incident took place around 9:45 a.m.
Underground technician Bradford Wallace, who was on site when the accident took place, said he witnessed the accident.
“I was standing at a distance of about 200 to 300 feet,” Wallace said.
“I noticed the dump truck lifting to dump the fill and while it was lifting it touched the electrical line overhead and I saw a bunch of sparks, fire and smoke.
“I drove down closer to the site and noticed a gentleman lying on the ground. He had bad burns about his body.”
Wallace said the incident has renewed his concerns about safety on the project.
“I think whoever’s in charge should have the power turned off until they have the road complete because this is like the third time I’ve see incidents like this happen,” he said, claiming that the other two incidents were not fatal.
“I think it’s really dangerous working with this power and the trucks have to be lifted to unload the dump fill.”
In a statement, the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) expressed condolences to the relatives and colleagues of the victim.
BEC declined to give further information as the matter is under police investigation.
However, the corporation pledged to continue to work with the developers of the road project and all of its parters “to ensure the safety of workers and the general public during any project that directly or indirectly involves BEC’s infrastructure”.
This is the second fatal accident at the Airport Gateway Project this year.
Tyson Miller, 26, was crushed by a trailer in January. The accident happened near the roundabout at John F. Kenney Drive and Gladstone Road.
Miller slipped and fell in front of the moving trailer, officials said.
Krystel Rolle
The Nassau Guardian
