Man falls off building, causes major brownout

CEBU, Philippines - A 40-minute widespread power interruption affected major parts of Cebu City yesterday after a 50-year-old construction worker fell from a building that is undergoing construction in Barangay Pasil and hit a 69 kilovolt primary line of the Visayan Electric Company.

VECO spokesperson Ethel Natera said the primary line automatically tripped-off and caused the massive brownout that started at 2:56pm. Power was restored by 3:35pm.

Natera said their safety officer has already warned the management of Grace Apartment, building where Rudy Estrera was doing construction work, that the area is unsafe because of its close proximity to the primary line.

The apartment if located along Tupas Street.

She said that based on VECO’s own investigation, Estrera was holding a pipe at that time that may have “touched” VECO’s primary line.

“Taas na ang among primary line. That’s 63 feet from the ground,” Natera said.

VECO’s findings are somehow close to that of the police. SPO4 Reynaldo Origenes, desk officer of San Nicolas Police Station, said it appeared that Estrera accidentally got hold of the pipeline that connects VECO’s primary line. 

Estrera was brought to the Visayas Community Hospital for treatment. — (FREEMAN)