By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK Sixteen primary school learners and a teacher escaped death and serious injury when a high-speeding taxi rammed into the rear end of the school bus they were travelling in, causing it to overturn on its side. The accident happened just after eight o’clock Friday morning in Florence Nightingale Street at the Khomasdal-Rehoboth turnoff on the Western Bypass. When New Era arrived at the scene, paramedics, tow-in specialists and traffic police were busy attending to the stricken children of M H Greef Primary School. However, most of the learners who were on board the bus luckily only suffered light injuries. “The taxi hit the bus from behind and there are 16 slight injuries and the driver, namely one teacher, is injured in the back. All of the children have been taken to the Katutura State Hospital for treatment,” said Police Inspector Eben Platt who was present at the scene. In a state of panic some of the children frantically jumped out of the bus through the windows and ran back to the school premises, while others fainted, with slight head injuries and bruises to their arms, knees legs and backs. The accident happened just a stone’s throw from the school premises in Khomasdal. The learners were on their way to the Zone B Athletics Championship at the Independence Stadium. The day, which was meant to be a joyful sports day for the children, turned out to be one of trauma for them and their parents. When the New Era team visited the Emergency Section of Katutura State Hospital, they found the X-ray Department full of tearful children and distressed parents and relatives. “Thank God my daughter is alive,” said one parent with a worried expression on her face, while consoling her child that was lying on the hospital stretcher waiting for her turn in the x-ray room. “It could have been much worse, but thank goodness the children are okay,” said Shaun van Rooi, whose sister was one of the survivors of the accident. By Friday afternoon, five of the 16 children were already discharged from hospital after being treated for shock and provided with painkillers. School teacher Yvonne Sawyers who suffered neck and back injuries due to the accident was still in the hospital. Acting Medical Superintendent of the Katutura Hospital, Dr Mwadina Shigwedha, said most of the learners were in a stable condition and were treated for only light injuries. “It was mostly bruises on the legs, arms, and heads and most of them have been scanned for x-rays,” explained Shigwedha. The taxi driver who was also injured in the accident was also taken to the Katutura hospital. When approached for comment on the whole ordeal, Principal of M H Greef Primary School, George Kandetu, said that this was in fact an off-day for most of the Grade 4 to 7 learners who were on their way to an athletics meeting. Kandetu thanked parents for their understanding and expressed gratitude for the prompt way in which medical staff and traffic personnel responded to the accident. “This is a terrible thing for the school and it is the first time, but everyone has given their support including the parents of the children who were in the accident,” added Kandetu. The school bus which was towed away to Friedel’s Workshop in Khomasdal, was bought for N$200 000 six years ago.