Engela cut off from rest of the country

THE Engela bridge, south east of the Engela District hospital, has been washed away by a new wave of floodwaters, cutting off the district hospital from the rest of the country.

The news was announced by the Governor of the Ohangwena Region, Usko Nghaamwa, late yesterday afternoon. Nghaamwa said the Ohangwena Regional Council had appealed to Government to put up a light temporary prefabricated bridge to help get food to people.At present, vehicles, including ambulances, cannot reach the hospital.”It’s a difficult situation because nobody can go to Engela from this side or from Engela to that side,” said Nghaamwa.Members of the NDF were sent there yesterday afternoon, to see what they could do.Seriously ill patients will have to be transported by helicopter to the Oshakati State hospital.”This might be the fourth wave of the flood, that is also heading to Oshakati,” said Nghaamwa.Meanwhile, it emerged at the weekend that the Santorini Inn hotel at Oshakati is under water and has been closed since the end of January.The owner, Anita Devenish-van Vuuren, has expressed surprise that the flood damage at her establishment had not been reported on previously.”Even the Town Council and the regional councillor in whose constituency we are situated have not come to see that we are in a very serious situation, and that we also need assistance like others affected by this serious flood,’ she told The Namibian on Friday.Devenish-van Vuuren said the whole hotel and her house next door have been flooded and all the rooms are under water.She said furniture in all the bedrooms, the dining room, the hotel offices, the bars, the swimming pool and the storerooms had been damaged by the floodwater.”We really do not know what to do.We have tried our best to fill here and there but as you see, the flood water is too deep and we can’t do anything about it,” she said.”I have lost my furniture and other hotel belongings.I have been left powerless.I am no longer doing business and I have lost income of more than N$200 000 so far.My workers have also lost income, since I cannot pay them any more.”The wave of floodwater that arrived from Angola last Tuesday has also damaged many roads and bridges in the Ohangwena and Oshana regions.The Endola and Engela bridges have been washed away and access to those areas have been cut off.The Namibian has learnt that the Engela District Hospital has become almost inaccessible because of the floodwater.The Government has provided a helicopter to take medicines to hospitals and clinics, as well as books and other teaching materials to schools.The Ehenye Combined School near Oshakati was forced to close on Friday till further notice.Many people in Oshakati’s Oneshila, Oshoopala and Evululuko informal settlements once again had to vacate their shacks on Friday as the floodwaters rose.Nghaamwa said the Ohangwena Regional Council had appealed to Government to put up a light temporary prefabricated bridge to help get food to people. At present, vehicles, including ambulances, cannot reach the hospital.”It’s a difficult situation because nobody can go to Engela from this side or from Engela to that side,” said Nghaamwa.Members of the NDF were sent there yesterday afternoon, to see what they could do.Seriously ill patients will have to be transported by helicopter to the Oshakati State hospital.”This might be the fourth wave of the flood, that is also heading to Oshakati,” said Nghaamwa.Meanwhile, it emerged at the weekend that the Santorini Inn hotel at Oshakati is under water and has been closed since the end of January.The owner, Anita Devenish-van Vuuren, has expressed surprise that the flood damage at her establishment had not been reported on previously.”Even the Town Council and the regional councillor in whose constituency we are situated have not come to see that we are in a very serious situation, and that we also need assistance like others affected by this serious flood,’ she told The Namibian on Friday.Devenish-van Vuuren said the whole hotel and her house next door have been flooded and all the rooms are under water.She said furniture in all the bedrooms, the dining room, the hotel offices, the bars, the swimming pool and the storerooms had been damaged by the floodwater.”We really do not know what to do.We have tried our best to fill here and there but as you see, the flood water is too deep and we can’t do anything about it,” she said.”I have lost my furniture and other hotel belongings.I have been left powerless.I am no longer doing business and I have lost income of more than N$200 000 so far.My workers have also lost income, since I cannot pay them any more.”The wave of floodwater that arrived from Angola last Tuesday has also damaged many roads and bridges in the Ohangwena and Oshana regions.The Endola and Engela bridges have been washed away and access to those areas have been cut off.The Namibian has learnt that the Engela District Hospital has become almost inaccessible because of the floodwater.The Government has provided a helicopter to take medicines to hospitals and clinics, as well as books and other teaching materials to schools.The Ehenye Combined School near Oshakati was forced to close on Friday till further notice.Many people in Oshakati’s Oneshila, Oshoopala and Evululuko informal settlements once again had to vacate their shacks on Friday as the floodwaters rose.