national

Power backflow killed firefighters

Amada Racero/LA PRENSA

electrocution: Fire experts believe two firefighters were shocked after Elektra Noreste engineers failed to take safety precautions. 1069926

A failure to shut off the electrical current after a fire broke out in the France Field district of the Zona Libre de Colón (ZLC) in October 2007 may have been responsible for the electrocution deaths of two firefighters, according to findings released this week by the Cuerpo de Bomberos de Panamá (CBP).

CBP investigators told prosecutors in Colón that during a reconstruction of the fire in January 2008, forensic experts noted that although engineers with Elektra Northeast cut power to the area as requested by firefighters, precautions weren’t taken to prevent electrical current from flowing back into the system. This is usually done by installing safety devices within the circuit to trap stray currents.

The fire started last year on the afternoon of Oct. 30, quickly spreading through several warehouses located opposite the Almacenaje de Carga de Transporte Logísticas, in France Field.

Firefighters from the Cuerpo de Bomberos de Colón were the first on the scene, with backup manpower from the capital responding several hours later. When fire truck No. 16, from Colón, arrived, it made contact with power lines, fatally shocking firefighters Manuel Abrego, who was at the helm, and Mayor Dimas Sanabrias, said investigators.

Brígido Ochoa and Amilka Gonzalez, engineers with Elektra Noreste, argued that the command hierarchy of the emergency situation put the firefighters in charge of the situation, and that they could only execute actions ordered by the firefighters. The engineers admitted that they neither recommended cutting the power nor installing the anti-backflow devices.

Fire experts pointed out that Elektra Noreste was in the position to prevent the electrocution fatalities by providing the necessary security measures.

Lorraine Fabrega, corporate affairs manager at Elektra Northeast, said company policy prohibits divulging details of such cases to the media, and said the company will eventually give their version of events “if and when the courts make their ruling.”