Dangriga boy accidentally electrocuted

A Dangriga youth was killed Thursday evening when he grabbed a high voltage electrical wire. Fourteen year old Michael MacKenzie was playing with his two cousins on the third story rooftop veranda of his grandfather’s house on St. Vincent Street around five when the accident occurred. He was apparently walking on a concrete railing when he lost his balance and reached out to steady himself, inadvertently grabbing the wire. He reportedly died before reaching the hospital. According to B.E.L. public relations officer, Neville Samuels, the distance between the high voltage wires and the house was less than the minimum specified under the building codes and it is believed that the upper flat of the house was built after the wires were already there. The problem of wires too close to buildings is a common one in Belize, especially in congested downtown areas. And while it may be too late for Michael MacKenzie, someone — either B.E.L. or the Housing and Planning Department — had better get on the ball.