Rose Hall residents get electric shock

Residents of the north-western village of Rose Hall are still expressing shock at last week Friday’s lightening strikes that damaged household appliances in many homes in their community.{{more}}

The strikes occurred at around 4:30 p.m. Eyewitness Devaughn Richards, who lives opposite the police station, told SEARCHLIGHT that he had just stepped out of the house to pick up some children from a party when the first strike occured. He said that one antenna from the tower at the police station snapped off, raining fire as it fell to the ground. He also said that fire was circulating between the three cell phone towers that are located on the western side of the village, even when the lightening stopped.

Many residents are blaming the cell towers for attracting the strikes, claiming that lightning strikes were never so intense in Rose Hall before the towers were erected.

Residents claim that over 30 televisions, numerous transformers and a few refrigerators were damaged. Telephone service was interrupted; many homes are currently without

service. Up to press time, the Rose Hall police station was still without telephone service; its radios were also damaged by the lightening strikes.

Residents are still tallying the damage which is expected to run in the tens of thousands. “We are just happy that no lives were lost,” said one villager.

Rose Hall is the highest elevated settlement in St Vincent and the Grenadines. (AC)