The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

AUTHORITIES are investigating a Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) generator fire that left Acklins without electricity for hours Monday amid renewed concerns about the island’s fragile infrastructure.

Pedro Marcello, BPL’s regional manager for the southern district, confirmed the outage at the Spring Point power station, which left more than 300 consumers without electricty.

He said one of the station’s three units caught fire and that it was the only generator online, triggering an island-wide blackout.

BPL teams quickly arrived on site, isolated the fuel supply, and extinguished the blaze and restored power to the island the following day.

Mr Marcello said the affected unit is a containerised model and was positioned outside at the time of the incident.

While the investigation is ongoing, he said preliminary findings suggest a major fuel line rupture may have caused the fire.

“Thankfully, none of the other units were impacted or affected, and also the building did not suffer any major damages,” he added. “By next week Friday, God's willing, we expect to have a final report as to exactly what we suspect happened.”

He said BPL is in the process of securing an additional unit for the Spring Point station by mid-next week, with a third expected to be in place by the end of the month.

Residents who spoke with The Tribune yesterday said the incident is the latest in a string of problems plaguing the island, pointing to deteriorating infrastructure and a lack of essential services.

“We deal with all kind of issues day by day,” said longtime resident, Henry Rolle. “This is our bonefishing season. My heart ran out the other day because the island is full of guests and to know that you pay maybe $5,000 just to come fish per head, and to know that you have to sleep in darkness or probably don't have water to shower. It's hard.”

He said virtually every aspect of life on the island needs attention, from unreliable phone service to the absence of adequate shelters and proper clinic facilities.

“In Salina Point area, they have no phone service,” he added. “The only way you can get phone service at that day, you have to have a star link in order to get service. It’s a seasonal thing.”

He said election seasons are usually when the island receives attention, but residents have not been so fortunate this cycle.

He noted that area MP Basil McIntosh has been largely absent, noting that the lawmaker has yet to reach out regarding the community’s concerns.

He blamed a lack of infrastructure development for the island’s stagnant population.

Francis Simms, another resident, echoed similar concerns and called for improved road infrastructure.

“I drive the islands and I see the road needs patching, from Spring point, from the airport back into Masons Bay. There’s a lot of potholes that need to be fixed,” he said, questioning the role of local government on the island and insisting they should be ensuring such issues are addressed.

Yesterday, Island Administrator Herman Gilbert admitted there is room for improvement but stressed that efforts to address the island’s challenges are ongoing.

He pointed out that limited economic and educational opportunities drive many residents to leave, a common trend for small islands, but said Acklins still holds considerable potential.

According to the 2022 census, Acklins has a population of just over 600 residents, significantly fewer than many other constituencies in the country.