Choiseul Residents Seek Compensation From LUCELEC

AN incident last week in the communities of Dacretin and Belle Vue, Choiseul, which caused damages to the electrical appliances of a number of residents in these areas, has angered the affected residents.

Up to press time yesterday, the majority of their appliances remained non-functional.

According to the concerned residents, some of whose homes now require rewiring, they are now awaiting the investigation into the matter by the St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) to determine whether they will be compensated by the company for their losses.

Last week, LUCELEC, in a statement, said they were currently investigating the matter which will take two weeks to complete, after which it will determine whether they should compensate the affected residents for their losses.

In recounting her harrowing experiences, Gia Louis, a resident of Belle Vue, said: “I was standing near the television stand when I heard a loud noise and immediately felt a shock in my hand.”

She added that there was fire on an electrical wire leading to a pole near her home, which had a passer-by scared, thinking that a house in the area was on fire.

Kendy Obius said that as a result of the incident, bulbs in his home got burnt and a number of appliances got damaged, including his fridge, television and cordless phone.

“I feel distressed,” he said.

Another resident, Helen Francois, said: “I was watching television just after 7:00 p.m. when I heard boom and everything went off. They took the electricity right away. When I woke up the following day, I realised my television and home phone got burnt.”

Lucille Francois said the incident has left her without a phone because her magic jack got burnt.

“Right now, I can’t even call my family overseas. It’s very painful,” she grieved.

According to residents of the affected areas, there seems to be a problem in the wiring in the area because recently a man got electrocuted in Dacretin after holding a stay wire, a wire which helps keep electrical poles firmly in the ground.

Residents of Dacretin and Belle Vue are now calling on LUCELEC to make a thorough check on the wiring in these areas because they fear something catastrophic may happen one day if the matter is not given immediate attention.

In the meantime, they are hoping LUCELEC’s investigations into the matter will reveal that it is culpable and that it compensates the affected residents in the shortest possible time.