Christine Hanekom (49) and her husband, Fillip, were travelling to Walvis Bay when a front tyre of the horse and trailer truck burst about 37 km outside Usakos.

The husband lost control over the truck and it rolled about 50 metres.

He managed to crawl out of the cab and went to the road to stop passing vehicles for assistance.

It was only 30 minutes later, at around 19h00, that someone stopped and phoned the emergency services.

The Usakos emergency service, International SOS (ISOS) as well as the Swakopmund Fire Brigade arrived at the scene to help.

According to Aubrey Oosthuizen of ISOS, it took about three-and-a-half hours to get the woman out of the truck.

The Fire Brigade had to cut open the cabin to free her using their mechanical equipment.

Leaking diesel and hot clutch oil complicated the rescue operation.

With the help of a medical doctor and ISOS paramedics, she was stabilised and taken to the Cottage Private Hospital at Swakopmund.

She sustained multiple bruises, a fracture on her left hand and burn wounds on her right foot from the hot oil.

Her husband sustained light injuries but was not admitted to hospital.

Local News Headlines Of The Last 48 Hours

•  Hishongwa hits out at 'newcomers'
•  Doctors to court over dispensing rights
•  Project money missing
•  N$20 000 fine for computer corruption
•  Police kill suspect after 'struggle'
•  Union wants NHE bosses' heads
•  2008 a year of political violence: DTA
•  Gender violence takes centre stage
•  Employers of disabled people awarded
•  Closure of copper mines adds gloom to Nam mining outlook
•  78 Zim farmers win land case
•  Floodgates open over Windhoek
•  Everyone except Swapo to blame for the violence, claims President