On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, state-owned Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) announced it would pursue legal recourse against local subsidiary China Railway First Group (Guyana) Incorporated if the contractor fails to compensate GY$30.645 million for losses tied to a widespread four-hour power outage that disrupted tens of thousands of customers across Greater Georgetown earlier that week.
The outage, which began at 8:50 a.m. on Sunday, April 26, was traced directly to unsafe construction work carried out by the firm on Dennis Street in the Sophia neighborhood of Greater Georgetown. According to GPL’s official investigation, heavy excavating machinery operated by the contractor came into unapproved contact with the L10 high-voltage transmission line that connects the new Georgetown and Sophia electrical substations. The accidental contact triggered a cascading failure that cut power to multiple communities for more than four hours.
GPL confirmed that it has already delivered a formal demand letter to Ma Qiang, project manager of China Railway First Group (Guyana), giving the firm a 14-day window to remit the full claimed amount for damages and lost revenue. If the payment is not finalized within the deadline, GPL said it will initiate formal civil legal proceedings to recover the funds.
In addition to the financial demand, the Guyana Police Force has already taken one person into custody in connection with the unsafe work that caused the outage. The incident also resulted in widespread disruption to daily life: local households, commercial operations, and critical public services all lost access to power for hours, leaving widespread inconvenience for residents and business owners across the affected area.
GPL framed the incident as a serious violation of mandatory electrical infrastructure safety protocols. The utility emphasized that all construction work conducted near high-voltage lines and other critical electrical assets must follow strict clearance distance requirements, adhere to published national safety standards, and include pre-work coordination with GPL’s technical team.
The company also warned that working too close to active electrical infrastructure poses an immediate lethal risk to workers and bystanders, capable of causing severe injury or death in addition to the widespread service disruption and critical infrastructure damage seen in this case. In a closing statement, GPL reiterated that all contractors and equipment operators operating in Guyana are required to follow all safety protocols when working near power lines, and any future violations will result in immediate, decisive action including financial recovery and legal action.