Londoners are living in fear after reports of exploding pavements causing serious injuries are on the rise. In the latest report from the Daily Mail, a victim of an exploding pavement has spoken out and warned that ‘deaths will follow’ after he was thrown in to the air and left hospitalised with serious injuries.
This isn’t the first time this happened and nor is this the first time a victim has been badly hurt.
According to reports, victims involved are campaigning for action to be taken as the risk of pavements exploding is on the rise. The root cause is said to be rainwater seeping in to the ground and coming in to contact with aging underground wiring systems. Recent bouts of heavy rainfall, together with an increase in general street furniture, have been blamed. Many of the incidents of fires and explosions arise in or around manholes.
The harrowing facts, according to the reports, are these:
- There were 135 incidents of manhole fires last year
- There have been 113 reports this year so far
- More than 50 homes were evacuated in Islington this February following an incident
- In April last year a pavement exploded, narrowly missing a nearby pedestrian
It’s a miracle no one has been killed. Of the victims so far, the images and footage on The Daily Mail website shows of the life changing injuries and terrifying power of the blasts that can occur. Pensioner Colin Wingate has spent years recovering from his injuries after he was thrown in to the air following a pavement blast in August 2011. He required emergency surgery to save his right leg and has been left wheelchair bound ever since
He has spoken out and warned that ‘deaths will follow’ unless more is done to prevent these explosions.
Another victim, former Criminal Barrister for the Home Office Cara Perrett, was left significantly disfigured and suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression since her ordeal two years ago on Edgware Road, London. She has launched a campaign to force UK power companies to take more action to stop repeats of these incidents.
The Daily Mail reported that she has said “I was seriously injured when the pavement I was walking on blew up and I was engulfed in a fireball. It has now been over two years and I am only just beginning to put my life back together.”
“Unfortunately, I still remain haunted by the thought that had I been walking with a child that day they would, in all likelihood, have suffered burns to most, if not all, of their body and may not have survived.”
There is always a duty of care on local governments and utility companies to put the health and safety of the public as their highest priority. Victims are saying that this is still not being take seriously and speaking out that more needs to be done. Hopefully this will start to be taken much more seriously and no one will end up fatally injured.
