WALVIS BAY – Two workers died at the Walvis Bay sewerage works yesterday after drowning inside the sewer pump station.

The incident happened at around lunchtime. The men were reportedly carrying out some repair work at the pump station when they drowned. 

The municipal authorities did not confirm the exact details of the incident yesterday, but New Era understands the men inhaled a poisonous gas before falling into the pump station. 

Walvis Bay Municipality fire brigade chief Dennis Basson told journalists that the bodies were retrieved from the sewer pump station. One of the victims is a municipal employee, while the other man worked for a company contracted by the local authority. 

“It is too early to say exactly what happened as an investigation is currently ongoing. The identities of the men can also not be released at this stage as their next of kin were yet to be notified,” said Basson. 
He said three other workers were also rushed to hospital yesterday. 

In another incident at the coast, an Angolan man Israel Hamutenya (28) died on Wednesday after he was allegedly run over by a truck at a construction site in Walvis Bay. A police report issued by the Erongo police said Hamutenya hailed from Ombadja in Cunene Province and was employed as a sub-contractor at the site.
- edeklerk@nepc.com.na