A trailer truck loaded with cargo dragged electrical wires of the Negros Oriental Electric Cooperative at about 9 a.m. Monday, causing a seven-hour brownout from the northern Dumaguete areas to Poblacion, Amlan, Negros Oriental.

Nobody was hurt in the incident that occurred along the North National Highway of Bantayan, in Dumaguete involving a truck owned by the JBEL Trucking Services driven by Edwin Pace.

Witnesses said the truck dragged the electrical wires, and destroyed two electrical posts, and four transformers. Three other posts, as well as cable television and telephone wires, were subsequently damaged.

Pace immediately surrendered to the police.

Chief Edgar Ablir of the NORECO 2 Clearing Division said the damage was enormous since the affected area was the backbone line supplying power from the northern part of Dumaguete, and the municipalities of Sibulan, San Jose and Amlan.

Ablir added that their legal department will send a demand letter to the trucking services company to seek damages.

Joemar Sayre, chief engineer of Fil Products TV, said the company had incurred about P160,000 for the purchase of two transformers and wires.

Two of the destroyed transformers were owned by Fil Products Cable TV, another was that of Chinky's Restaurant, and one of NORECO 2.

Power was restored at 4:15 p.m. on the same day, but as of press time, the total cost of damage had not yet been determined.

Ablir encouraged the affected telephone and cable TV companies to properly install the wires and place them high enough to avoid being hit by big hauling trucks.*MA

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