Heavy-duty excavator burned beyond repair in Antigua, police launch investigation

Antigua and Barbuda: An investigation into the destruction of an excavator at a construction site in the John Hughes area, has been launched by the police after a heavy-duty equipment of several hundred thousand Eastern Caribbean dollars, was burned beyond repair.

According to police reports, on Wednesday, January 28, the heavy-duty equipment or excavator was sent to the scheduled site where after the work shift was over, the workers left the excavator at the site.

On Thursday morning, January 29, when the workers returned back to the location of the site, they found out that the machine was heavily damaged due to being burned. Following which they contacted the owners of the heavy-duty equipment who later reported the incident to the police force.

The owners of the excavator issued a statement in which they said that “on Wednesday, the equipment was left at the scene and when on Thursday, the workers went to the scene they discovered the burned machine.”

They further stated that the “machine had been so badly burned that it cannot be repaired,” and they also believe that “the fire was deliberately set on the machine.”

Owners also expressed their significant concern over the financial loss caused by the accident on the company.

The state media also confirmed the news while stating that police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire incident as no grim discovery or reason behind the fire has been established yet.

The community of John Hughes area have expressed their deepest concern over the fire incident as many people took to Facebook state their feelings as one the users John Jellis commented that "I think people don’t want their area to be developed, like how can someone just burn the whole big machinery that is beyond repair.” 

The other user Janel Parkes also commented that “we all know that someone deliberately set the fire on the machine to destroy it, but the reason behind this is something that we don’t know yet. I hope the police will discover the reason soon.”