The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) has confirmed that the power outage on Monday, June 1, 2026, was caused by an excavator striking its network.
At approximately 10:00 a.m., the machinery, operated by Raju Singh of Avinash Contracting and Scrapmetal Inc., came into contact with GPL’s L4 Transmission Line, which interconnects the Golden Grove and Sophia substations.
The incident damaged critical transmission infrastructure and resulted in a service interruption affecting customers across sections of Demerara.
GPL said its technical teams responded promptly and immediately began assessing the damage and restoring electricity supply to affected customers as quickly and safely as possible.
The company has since launched an investigation into the incident and indicated its intention to pursue legal action against both the contractor and the operator to recover costs associated with the damage to its infrastructure.
“GPL reminds contractors, heavy-duty equipment operators and members of the public that any excavation, construction, or operations near the company’s transmission and distribution infrastructure must be coordinated with GPL to ensure safety and prevent damage to critical national assets. Unauthorized or unsafe activities near GPL’s network can result in widespread service disruptions and serious public safety risks,” the company said.
