Windhoek
Twenty people lost their lives over the past weekend with 14 of the fatalities ascribed to road accidents.
Amongst the victims are three teachers from MK Gertze Secondary School in Rehoboth, who burned to death in a car horrific accident on Saturday morning in the Hardap Region.
Overall, six people died in the said car crash when two vehicles collided on the B1 road about 40km from Rehoboth on route to Kalkrand. The accident happened on Saturday at about 05h00 when a Nissan NP 200 and Hyundai Getz collided head on.
“Both vehicles caught fire and burned [out] completely. Each vehicle had three occupants, who burned to death,” police spokesperson Chief Inspector Kauna Shikwambi confirmed yesterday.
The deceased driver of the Nissan was identified as Detlief Van Wyk, as well as his two passengers, Johannes Swartbooi, 36, and Josef Swarts (age unknown) were all teachers at MK Gerzte Secondary School in Rehoboth. Shikwambi said the occupants in the Hyundai were Hendrik Strauss, 37, and Marius Isaaks (age unknown), as well as police constable Ryan George Van Wyk. Their next of kin have been informed.
In a similar gruesome accident at Otjiwarongo it is reported that three people burned and 11 others sustained serious to minor injuries when two vehicles collided head-on and caught fire on impact. The accident happened at 01h00 on Saturday about 7km from Otjiwarongo on the main road to Okahandja.
Shikwambi said the Iveco minibus and the courier truck carrying two people were travelling in opposite directions and collided when one of them tried to overtake another vehicle.
According to Shikwambi, two of the deceased were in the minibus, while the third person was a passenger in the courier truck. The names of the deceased have not yet been made public. She said the injured persons were taken to Otjiwarongo State Hospital.
Another vehicle burned out on the gravel road between Uis and Khorixas after the driver lost control of a Corsa bakkie while driving from Uis to attend a family gathering at a nearby farm.
A family of four was travelling in the vehicle during the accident. The driver, later identified as Alfred Gaseb, aged 41, died at the scene and a 14-year-old boy was also seriously injured in the crash.
The three injured passengers were taken to Uis Clinic for treatment.