QUICK action by the Barbados Fire Service and the National Petroleum Corporation yesterday morning averted what could have been a major catastrophe when a four-and-a-half-inch natural gas main at the Lancaster/Orange Hill roundabout was damaged by excavation equipment.
The incident scared CO Williams Construction workers and forced a temporary work stoppage while the damage was assessed and later repaired.
Ten officers under the command of Acting Station Officer Errol Maynard responded to the call around 9 a.m.
Maynard told the media the damage was not as bad as first thought. “When we got the call, a fire tender from the nearby Arch Hall depot responded and immediately took the decision to divert traffic from traversing from either side of the Greenwich area as the strong winds carried the strong gas odour downhill. It was a small leak. However, residents in the area were alerted about the reason for the gas odour.”
The leak threatened to disrupt operations at the School Meals centre yards away from the damaged main. However, fire officers kept a close watch on the situation, while allowing the department to complete lunches for schools in the north. (CH)
