Adrian Frater, News EditorWESTERN BUREAU:
TRAGEDY STRUCK at the Long Pond Sugar Factory in Clarke's Town, Trelawny, yesterday afternoon when a technician was killed and another man seriously injured in a massive explosion which rocked a section of the factory.
The dead man, who suffered major injuries all over his body, has been identified as 23-year-old Kajel Insang of a Jackson Town address in the parish. The other man, whose identity has not been ascertained, has been admitted to the Falmouth Hospital.
According to workers at the factory, shortly after 2:30 p.m., an explosion was heard in a section of the factory housing a turbine, which is a part of the mechanism used in the production of sugar. Initially, the injured man was found and rushed off to hospital.
"We later learnt that Kajel was also in the turbine and other workers went to search for him," said Joseph Insang, a senior employee at the sugar factory and the grandfather of the decease. "When they found his body I could not bear to look at it."
FULL-FLEDGED TRADESMAN
According to Mr. Insang, his grandson, who completed his apprenticeship last year, was in his first year as a full-fledged tradesman at the factory and was a person who was well-loved. "He was a very nice fellow," emphasised Mr. Insang.
According to workers familiar with the operation of the turbine, the explosion came as a big surprise as they knew of no problem with it. "We just heard the explosion and see a piece of iron from the turbine flying through the air," said one worker. "It is a good thing that piece of iron did not hit anyone because that would have been certain death."
Efforts by The Gleaner to get a comment from officials at the factory proved futile as the top managers were said to locked in a meeting, while members of the second tier leadership were said to be too distraught to speak with the media.
The Clarke's Town police are investigating the incident with assistance from their counterparts at the Trelawny police headquarters in Falmouth.
