Eveline de Klerk
WALVIS BAY – A fuel tanker and a fish truck gutted by fire on Tuesday between Omaruru and Kalkfeld has once again put the spotlight on suspected fuel theft and the probable cause of the blaze.
There has been notable increase of such incidents with at least three such incidents being reported last year alone.
In the latest incident a Unitrans fuel tanker, carrying 30 000 litres of fuel as well as a Zambian fish truck mysteriously burned to ashes at a resting place for truckers some 20 km from Omaruru. The fuel belongs to Namcor and was destined for the northern regions.
Namcor spokesperson Utaara Hoveka yesterday, upon enquiry told New Era they cannot comment at this stage, as they are still gathering information. “It is too premature to comment, what I can however say is that it is our fuel that Unitrans tanker was carrying,” he said.
When police investigators arrived at the scene, both truck drivers were not found at the scene. The Unitrans truck driver was found later in Otjiwarongo without any injuries by Nampol, while the whereabouts of the Zambian truck driver remain unknown.
Briefing the media yesterday with regards to the incident, Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, told New Era, their forensic team is investigating the exact cause of the incident.
“Meanwhile, Unitrans is preparing to lay a possible charge of theft and malicious damage to property,” he said.
He said preliminary investigations indicate that both trucks were parked, facing each other at the resting area, towards Omaruru.
“The Unitrans driver allegedly parked and decided to sleep as his truck was experiencing problems with speed. He claims that he heard a loud sound like an explosion, after which he jumped off the truck and hiked to Otjiwarongo. He claims he never saw another truck at the resting site,” said Iikuyu.
Fuel tankers catching fire, according to Iikuyu is not new anymore, “Hence Nampol will not rule out the possibility of fuel theft,” he said.