Australians to sue Singapore Power over deadly firestorm
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MELBOURNE: Victims of Australia's deadly 2009 firestorm have launched legal action against a Singapore power firm alleging poorly-maintained electrical wires sparked the blaze, reports said Saturday.
Lawyers representing almost 600 people lodged a class action in Victoria's Supreme Court against Singapore Power for allegedly failing to maintain an ageing line, which fell and started the February 7 fire at Kilmore East.
It was the deadliest blaze of "Black Saturday", Australia's worst natural disaster, claiming 119 of the 173 lives lost. Legal firm Maurice Blackburn said the suit could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
"We have heard strong evidence at the Royal Commission (into the fires) that Singapore Power could have taken a number of steps to prevent the devastating Kilmore East-Kinglake bushfire," firm chairman Bernard Murphy told The Age newspaper.
"Electricity distribution companies are commercial enterprises that have a responsibility to ensure that public safety is not compromised simply in order to keep costs down. Singapore Power's failures have had very tragic consequences."
The action currently has 598 plaintiffs but could grow to as many as 1,300, including people who lost family members in the fire, suffered physical injuries and lost property, or had ongoing psychological damage, The Age said.
It will allege Singapore Power failed to fit a 10 dollar (8.70 US) anti-vibration device to guard against metal fatigue and that the circuit-breaker system was not adequate for a dry, windy, fire-prone area.
The 1.1-kilometre (0.7-mile) single-strand line, one of the longest in Victoria, was only checked every five years and rust and wire deterioration could not be detected by ground crews, the case will also claim.
Unusually for an Australian civil case, Maurice Blackburn has asked that it be decided by a jury instead of a judge.
The Black Saturday fires rushed into small communities with little warning, killing 173 residents as they sheltered in their homes, or fled in cars. Entire towns were razed, reducing more than 2,000 homes to ash.- AFP/jy
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VERY VERY VERY GOOD.............YAY................WOOHOO..........
i'm hoping the Aussies win this one and S'pore Power kana fine teruk teruk jialat jialat !!!!!
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Later Singapore Power no Power.
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Originally posted by Asromanista2001:
VERY VERY VERY GOOD.............YAY................WOOHOO..........
i'm hoping the Aussies win this one and S'pore Power kana fine teruk teruk jialat jialat !!!!!
Den ur electricity bills will shoot up like crazy.
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not only that....greater discrimination to the point of hatred against Sg in Australia ...
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We should vote the PAP out to save sg
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Singapore Power says it's not a defendant in lawsuit over Australian bushfire
Singapore Power has clarified that it is not the defendant in a lawsuit relating to the 2009 Kilmore East-Kinglake bushfire in Australia.
In a statement released on Saturday, SP AusNet, which is 51% owned by Singapore Power, said the defendant in the bushfire proceedings is SPI Electricity Pty Ltd, its electricity distribution operating company.
SP AusNet added that while court proceedings are in progress, it would be inappropriate for it to discuss the matter.
The Kilmore East-Kinglake bushfire was one of the bushfires which affected the
Australian state of Victoria in February 2009.
Victims of deadly firestorm have launched legal action against SPI Electricity, alleging poorly-maintained electrical wires sparked the blaze, reports said.
Lawyers representing almost 600 people lodged a class action in Victoria's Supreme Court against SPI Electricity for allegedly failing to maintain an ageing line, which fell and started the February 7 fire at Kilmore East.
It was the deadliest blaze of "Black Saturday", Australia's worst natural disaster, claiming 119 of the 173 lives lost.
Legal firm Maurice Blackburn said the suit could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.- CNA/AFP/jy/ls
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S'pore always get bully,give $$$ to them,now got into lawsuit,if we did not buy from them,i think,they won't have anything to say,1 word Temasek very stupid to invest in other country.
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erm so singapore power didn't get sued already?
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australians there want compensation although the task of spotting and putting out fire is australian gov job.most probably it wasnt caused by power cables.....if power cable went down then power compny would get calls on why no power and then if there is a fire from downed power cable it could have been put out in 15 mins by fire department.
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theyhavent any proof...power cable pole could have been burnt down by fire.besides there are about dozens of bushfires in australia every year caused by people bbq ,smoking, arson, fun etc.
each house in melbourne is $1mil and spore power either deny fire was made by their poles or compensate generously $2mil each person...otherwise australians wuld be nasty to sporeans in oz. as they already are now.
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Originally posted by Junyang700:
Den ur electricity bills will shoot up like crazy.
brudder, our power stations now all owned by foreign companies liao lah, you don't know meh ?
PAP has sold us out by selling all power stations to foreigners !