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Home / Five died in accidents over festive season in Erongo
Five died in accidents over festive season in Erongo
2014-01-07Staff Report 2 WALVIS BAY - Only five fatalities were reported in the Erongo Region during the festive season, although the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund reports that from November 22 2013 to January 1 2014, a total of 361 road accidents were reported country-wide. This translates into 762 injuries and 74 deaths throughout the country over the period. Last week Friday during a police briefing the acting crime coordinator of the Namibian Police Force (Nampol) in the region, Erastus Iikuyu, told New Era that law and order was well maintained in the region over the festive period. “Illegal alcohol sales were a major problem and ill behaviour on beaches especially Walvis Bay and Swakopmund were also reported, but we deployed our police force in these areas. But this year no drownings were reported,” Iikuyu elaborated. However, he went on to say that some bigger outlets made themselves guilty of alcohol sales on public days. “Apart from the deaths on our roads that were also lower than last year, I can say that visitors and residents in the Erongo Region behaved well. Shebeen owners, clubs and bars really gave their full cooperation to Nampol and one could see that they were adhering to the law and dealing within their required time frame,” he told New Era. Road accidents Erongo reported its first fatality on December 28 last year when one person died and four others were injured in an accident between Karibib and Usakos. According to Iikuyu, the 35-year-old Nicodemus Angunga, a resident of the single quarters in Swakopmund died on that day when the driver of a Peugeot sedan, Bernard Fillipus, lost control over the vehicle. Angunga sustained head injuries and died on the spot. Iikuyu said that Fillipus was coming from Nonidas, situated a few kilometres outside Swakopmund. “It is alleged that the driver was speeding and failed to stop at the railway junction. He lost control over the vehicle and it overturned. All four occupants including the driver were thrown from the vehicle. Another two passengers were taken to the state hospital in Swakopmund. Fillipus who was driving without a driver’s licence already appeared in court on charges of culpable homicide, drunk driving and driving without a driver’s licence,” he explained. He went on to say that on the same day, the 56-year old Sofia Hedwig Lutula died seven kilometres from the main road to Henties Bay/Spitzkoppe. According to him the driver of the vehicle, Martin Namaseb, lost control over the vehicle and it overturned. The vehicle had nine occupants and some were treated at the Usakos state hospital for minor injuries. A case of culpable homicide is currently being investigated. Iikuyu said a South African national, Casperus Aucamp, died on December 31 in the dunes near Long Beach when he fell from a quad-bike he was riding and sustained neck injuries. On January 1 2014 during the early morning hours the 22-year-old Abraham Petrus died on the spot about five kilometres outside Walvis Bay when a taxi hit him. According to Iikuyu the deceased and his friends were coming from Long Beach when their car ran out of fuel. Petrus was apparently left at the car while the friends hitchhiked to Walvis Bay to get fuel. It is believed that the deceased was intoxicated and was trying to catch a lift back to Windhoek when an oncoming taxi hit him. Eveline de Klerk 2014-01-07Staff Report 2
