A report into the death of Belco engineer Malik Blyden is to be completed this week and presented to both the Coroner and the Government Health and Safety Executive Officer.

The 24-year-old died nine days after an explosion at the Belco sub-station on the Railway Trail in Southampton, which left him with severe burns to his head, face, arms and legs and a laceration to his head.

He was initially taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, but later transferred to Johns Hopkins Medical Centre in Maryland, where he had begun skin graft treatment when he took a turn for the worse and died on Monday of last week.

A funeral service will be held for Mr. Blyden tomorrow, and Belco has announced it will be closing at 1 p.m. out of respect for the lost worker and to enable colleagues to attend the service.

Yesterday, Belco spokeswoman Susan McGrath-Smith said the investigation into how the incident happened was ongoing and said the company would be able to say very little until it was complete.

She said: “It's nearing completion. It has to go to the Coroner this week, and to the Health and Safety Executive in Government this week.”

Ms McGrath-Smith said Belco would be talking to Mr. Blyden's family when the time was more appropriate, probably after the funeral.

She said she was unable to talk about how the explosion occurred because it was still subject to the investigation, but said there was nothing extraordinary about the work Mr. Blyden was doing that day.

The spokeswoman added: “He certainly was trained to carry out that work, but beyond that I can't comment because it's subject to the report.”

Maynard Dill, president of the Electricity Supply Trade Union, of which Mr. Bylden was a member, said the executive had questions, but were waiting for the completion of the report.

He said Mr. Blyden had been very popular and understandably workers were upset at his death, and so were eager to ensure that no similar incident happened again.

“I'm still waiting to hear what actually happened,” said Mr. Dill. “Hopefully, it will take as long as it takes to get to the bottom of the matter. I would not like to say ‘let's rush the investigation and get it finished in two days' and then still have questions. If it takes three months, then it takes three months. We will wait.

“I would like it to be as thorough as possible, so it won't happen again, so any safeguards and changes can be put in place. Obviously, we do have questions, but we can't really comment until the report is in.”

Mr. Dill said Mr. Blyden was a fully trained Belco engineer as a Grade One S fitter.

He added: “That means he could do anything. He was a specialist. At this point, I have been told he was able and qualified to do what he was doing. But we are still waiting to hear what happened.”

Mr. Dill said the union did have general health and safety concerns about both the internal and external Belco plant, which it had brought to the company's attention and which management had committed to address.

But he said they were nothing specifically to do with this incident. He added: “There are some general safety concerns here, as in every job and workplace, but I would rather not discuss, at this time, what they are.”

Doris Foley, Government Health and Safety Executive Officer, would only say yesterday that her department was conducting its own investigation into the incident.

It is not known when that will be completed. And Belco executive vice president and chief operating officer A.L. Vincent Ingham said the company did not want to comment further until family and friends had had the opportunity to celebrate Mr. Blyden's life and mourn his loss.

He said: “Malik's death resulted from a tragic accident, which has left the entire company grieving for our friend and colleague. We have, therefore, taken the decision to close our doors early on Wednesday, giving those members of our staff who wish to attend the funeral the opportunity to do so, while allowing others to remember Malik in their own way.

“We are certain the public will understand that this is a difficult time for the entire Belco family. We appreciate everyone's understanding, as we take time to mourn.”

Belco will be open again on Thursday.

A funeral service will be held for Mr. Blyden at the First Church of God, North Shore, Pembroke, tomorrow at 3 p.m. Interment will be at St. Mark's Church in Smith's Parish.