Children injured as storm wreaks havoc at Aranos

A storm hit Aranos in the Hardap region on Tuesday, damaging more than 30 homes, leaving two children injured, and causing power outages and flooding, officials and residents say.

The children have been hospitalised and are being treated for minor injuries.

Hardap Regional Council chairperson Gerson Dausab yesterday confirmed this, saying the council is busy establishing the extent of the damage.

“We are looking into issues of accommodation and how we need to repair or help with the effects of the disaster, but we need at least a concise report that can tell us the quantum of the disaster so we can take appropriate action,” he said.

Dausab urged residents to remain calm.

“Please do not panic,” he said.

Aranos resident Lovely Swartz yesterday said residents’ homes were flooded.

“Water flooded inside houses. Big trees were uprooted. At my house, one corrugated iron roof with supports was blown away, and the lower corrugated iron sheets were washed away,” she said.

Swartz appealed to the government to assist the affected families.

“The government must help us, because many of us who suffered great damage are unemployed and will not be able to cover the damage. It is not just roofs that were blown away, but power poles too, so we are left with power problems,” she said.

Former Aranos mayor Elden Kahungu yesterday said the storm affected more than 30 houses.

“We estimate between 30 to 40 houses have been affected. The roofs of these houses are damaged. Most of the people in these houses lost their belongings. Kitchenware and couches were affected. It is a huge disaster,” he said.

Kahungu said a meeting was held to assess the situation.

He said the Hardap Regional Council has provided mattresses to assist those affected.

Mariental Municipality Fire and Safety manager and Disaster Risk Centre head Dirk Cloete yesterday said power supply was among the biggest problems at the town after the storm.

“Nine NamPower poles along the road are broken, including the main switchgear for high-voltage poles and a 10-metre low-voltage cable. The power is still off, because it is not safe. The power cannot be restored yet,” he said.

Cloete said one primary school’s roof was damaged, but classes continued.

“Fortunately, the damage has not disrupted the school, and the children are safe,” he said.

He said apart from the two minors who were injured, there were no fatalities or serious injuries.

Cloete said a meeting will be held in the coming days to update the community.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.