Cuban contruction worker dies; two others critical after scaffold rolled into power lines

A workplace freak accident claimed the life of a Cuban national this morning, and two of his colleagues have been left nursing multiple burns about their bodies and other injuries.

The three were reportedly working on a metal scaffold outside a building in Plantation Houston when tragedy struck. The scaffold’s wheels appeared to have not been locked in, and as the men were working, it rolled back onto the power lines outside the building. All three men suffered massive electric shock, with the one who was pronounced dead on the spot, suffering the most injuries.

He reportedly came in direct contact with the power lines and was pitched onto the ground with his clothes on fire as the electricity from the power lines ripped through his body.

Some other workers eventually attempted to assist by using a fire extinguisher as emergency medical teams were summoned.

Two of the men were rushed to the hospital, while the other one was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement this morning, the Guyana Power and Light company said it was made aware of the tragic accident that occurred, where scaffolding reportedly rolled away from a building and came into contact with one of the company’s 13.8 kV primary distribution lines.

In its statement, GPL reminded contractors, workers and members of the public to exercise extreme caution when operating near the Company’s electrical lines, poles and other network infrastructure.

The company said appropriate safety measures must always be maintained to prevent similar tragedies.

This year has seen a big increase in workplace deaths, with the Ministry of Labour maintaining mostly silence on many of the incidents. Many of the tragic cases also involve foreign nationals, who are working in Guyana.

Last Friday, three oil workers lost their lives in a road accident just after arriving in Guyana when a heavy duty truck slammed into the bus they were traveling in. Earlier last week, a Cuban national working at the Muneshwers’ Container terminal was found dead after he was crushed to death by a container that was being moved.

In July, another Cuban national died at his worksite when he was hit across the head by a construction hose, and in December 2025, another Cuban died at his workplace when a concrete wall collapsed and buried him.

The Labour Ministry would only explain that it has launched investigations. The outcome of those investigations remain unknown. It is also investigating the deaths of the cargo vessel workers who died by suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in their vessel, and the two Berbice workers who died when a barge they were transporting to Georgetown sank.

In the MV Barima tragedy, 17 crew members lost their lives, and it remains unknown whether the Labour Ministry is carrying out any investigation into that incident.

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