SWAKOPMUND – A bus driver of the Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) miraculously escaped death early yesterday morning when he plunged into an oncoming train at Swakopmund.
The accident occurred around 05h30 at the level crossing at Newton Street, close to the entrance to Swakopmund, several metres away from the TransNamib station. According to the chief fire officer of the Swakopmund municipal fire brigade, Adri Goosen, no one was injured apart from the driver of the bus, who was taken for treatment to the Cottage Hospital for a dislocated shoulder. “The driver was on his way to collect NIMT students, at Swakopmund before embarking to Arandis where the college is situated. We are very fortunate that the driver was alone, as it could have been a very bad accident,” Goosen explained. When New Era arrived at the scene debris from the wreck of the bus lay scattered all over the scene.
It also appeared that the train had pushed the bus back about 100 metres before it eventually came to a standstill on the rails. Some passengers were still on the train waiting patiently for the fire brigade and TransNamib to clear the rails, which took several hours. They were eventually transported by bus to Walvis Bay. TransNamib employees at Walvis Bay yesterday afternoon said that they were still in the process of clearing and repairing the damaged rails and were hoping to clear the tracks on time for yesterday afternoon’s departure from Walvis Bay.
By Eveline de Klerk