Five die in weekend accidents

AT least five people were killed in road accidents over the Easter weekend.

Two people were killed and four seriously injured in a head-on collision near Wlotzkasbaken on Saturday night.In the South, three Windhoek residents died instantly when a Toyota double-cab bakkie overturned about 60 kilometres from Lüderitz on the road to Keetmanshoop on Friday evening. The co-ordinator of International SOS’s West Coast Safety Initiative, Aubry Oosthuizen, said the accident at the coast happened just north of Areva’s Trekkopje desalination construction site near Wlotzkasbaken at around 21h00.A Windhoek-registered 4×4 bakkie driving from Henties Bay crashed into a Walvis Bay-registered car carrying two adults and three children travelling from SwakopmundThe sole occupant of the bakkie, a man, was flung out of the vehicle and died instantly. The family in the car lost their father and the family dog. The Swakop-mund Fire Brigade had to cut the mother and a 14-year-old child from the wreckage.All four survivors are now in Windhoek hospitals with serious injuries. The names of the deceased have not yet been released.Oosthuizen said the traffic to and from the coast this weekend was the highest recorded for an Easter Weekend since the West Coast Safety Initiative was launched five years ago.He said 1 200 vehicles an hour entered and left Swakopmund on Thursday at 18h00.’We had 696 cars an hour coming into Swakopmund, and 324 cars per hour leaving. This is the highest amount of traffic measured for the last five years for an Easter weekend,’ he said.THE SOUTHIn the South, Deputy Commissioner Josephat Abel of the Karas Police identified the deceased as Jerina Strauss (42), Malcolm Strauss (44) and Lara Adams (41). According to Abel, the bakkie swerved off the road and overturned after a front tyre burst.The driver Chris Adams (40) survived the accident with two children identified as Chris Lee Adams (11) and Coleman Strauss (6).The 11-year-old and the driver were admitted to the Lüderitz State Hospital, but were later transferred to Windhoek. Abel described their condition as stable. The six-year-old escaped unhurt. In another accident, a truck belonging to Palm Africa Limited crashed into a riverbed near Naute Farm. Abel said the truck driver sustained head injuries and was transferred to the Katutura State Hospital. Abel said the Police are investigating charges of driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent and reckless and neglecting against the truck driver.Warmbad resident Karl Fransman (22) drowned in the Orange River near the farm Chepella in the Warmbad district. Abel said Fransman was crossing the river from South Africa into Namibia illegally with three others. Police said all four are Namibian citizens. The three survivors face charges of illegal border crossing. luqman@namibian.com.na