Vehicle crashes claim 5 at coast

FIVE people died and 17 were injured in vehicle accidents on the road between Swakopmund and Usakos this weekend.

On Friday around 17h40, a minibus taxi with 17 passengers overturned some 80 kilometres outside Swakopmund. Four people died, one was seriously injured and 12 others sustained less serious injuries.The Commanding Officer of the Namibian Police’s Public Relations and Liaison Division, Chief Inspector Hieronymus Goraseb, released the names of the four victims yesterday afternoon.He said the driver of the taxi, Peter Shigwedha (24), was one of the fatalities.The others were Hedwig Geingos (42), Claudia Nanus (54) and Venessa Dausas (20), Goraseb said.Ambulances from International SOS, E-Med, St.Gabriel’s and the State took the injured to the Swakopmund State Hospital.About 40 kilometres from Swakopmund, they came across another accident where a Pajero 4×4 pulling a trailer had overturned.One of the five passengers was injured and taken to the Swakopmund State Hospital.He was later transferred to a hospital in Windhoek.The driver of the Angolan-registered Pajero was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.On Saturday morning before 10h00, Gordon Jantjies (25) was making repairs to a truck at the turn-off to the Khomas Hochland road when the jack gave way under the vehicle.Jantjies was admitted to the Swakopmund Cottage Hospital with an injured leg.An 18-year-old boy, S.Hoeseb, almost drowned at the public swimming pool in Swakopmund on Saturday.Another swimmer, Darius Nel, managed to get the boy out of the pool before International SOS arrived.Hoeseb was admitted to the Swakopmund State Hospital where he was treated for water in his lungs, shock and hypothermia.Additional reporting by Werner MengesFour people died, one was seriously injured and 12 others sustained less serious injuries.The Commanding Officer of the Namibian Police’s Public Relations and Liaison Division, Chief Inspector Hieronymus Goraseb, released the names of the four victims yesterday afternoon.He said the driver of the taxi, Peter Shigwedha (24), was one of the fatalities.The others were Hedwig Geingos (42), Claudia Nanus (54) and Venessa Dausas (20), Goraseb said.Ambulances from International SOS, E-Med, St.Gabriel’s and the State took the injured to the Swakopmund State Hospital.About 40 kilometres from Swakopmund, they came across another accident where a Pajero 4×4 pulling a trailer had overturned.One of the five passengers was injured and taken to the Swakopmund State Hospital.He was later transferred to a hospital in Windhoek.The driver of the Angolan-registered Pajero was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.On Saturday morning before 10h00, Gordon Jantjies (25) was making repairs to a truck at the turn-off to the Khomas Hochland road when the jack gave way under the vehicle.Jantjies was admitted to the Swakopmund Cottage Hospital with an injured leg.An 18-year-old boy, S.Hoeseb, almost drowned at the public swimming pool in Swakopmund on Saturday.Another swimmer, Darius Nel, managed to get the boy out of the pool before International SOS arrived.Hoeseb was admitted to the Swakopmund State Hospital where he was treated for water in his lungs, shock and hypothermia.Additional reporting by Werner Menges