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2 utility workers die after striking buried electrical line

News

August 2nd, 2020 by Ric Hanson

PELLA, Iowa (AP) — Two workers installing internet cables in Pella, Iowa, died after striking an underground, high-voltage electrical cable. Pella Police Lt. Paul Haase said the workers died Saturday morning after striking the electrical line. Haase said residents nearby reported hearing a loud boom at the time. A third worker for Excel Utility Contractors suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital. The crew was installing internet cables for Pella Fiber.

Haase said 35-year-old Genis Urgell Rueda and 20-year-old Nelson Joani Figueroa died. They were both from Richmond, Virginia. People who lived near where the electrical line was struck were evacuated for about an hour